Family members mourned Vanik Voskanyan, a 40-year-old Armenian man fatally stabbed by Beverly Hills teen Conoray Lawantara on August 30 in an alleyway encounter that escalated into violence. At his memorial service in Glendale, family and friends emphasized the injustice of reducing Voskanyan’s life story to his homelessness at the time of death; he had previously worked in dentistry and construction before struggling financially. Lawantara, who was released on $2 million bail after claiming self-defense, recently attended a prestigious boarding school costing $80,000 annually. The judge criticized Lawantara's actions as unjustified violence against an unarmed man, setting the case for further legal proceedings on November 5.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On August 30, Vanik Voskanyan, a 40-year-old Armenian man from Glendale, was fatally stabbed by Conoray Lawantara, an 18-year-old resident of Beverly Hills. The incident occurred when Voskanyan, who was rummaging through trash in an alleyway, came into contact with Lawantara. Police responded and arrested the teen shortly after the stabbing. Despite claims from Lawantara’s attorney, Debra White, that Voskanyan had attacked first, Judge Keith Schwartz ruled there was no reason for Lawantara to have engaged with Voskanyan. Over 100 family members attended Voskanyan's funeral at St. Leon Armenian Cathedral in Burbank before his burial at Grand View Memorial Park in Glendale.
Written for “Man Slashed In Alleyway” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.45, but all 3 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 12053: attributed speech only · logged 2026-09-15
Family members mourned an Armenian man Monday in Glendale who was allegedly stabbed to death at the hands of a Beverly Hills teen with a cushy life.
uncertain
who → mourn → life
The body of 40-year-old Vanik Voskanyan laid in a powder blue casket with a large bouquet of white roses on top as a clergyman and his family laid him to rest at Grand View Memorial Park in Glendale.
Beverly Hills teen resident Conoray Lawantara allegedly stabbed 40-year-old Vanik Voskanyan as he dug through trash in the alley on Aug. 30.
uncertain
he → lay → Aug.
After a struggle, police arrived and arrested the teen.
asserted
police → arrive → teen
Voskanyan was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
asserted
he → transport → hospital
Lawantara claimed he stabbed the man in self-defense.
asserted
he → claim → defense
His attorney, Debra White, claimed Voskanyan reached for the teen’s neck and elbowed him during Lawantara’s arraignment.
asserted
Voskanyan → claim → arraignment
White also said Voskanyan bit off a portion of Lawantara’s finger, and Lawantara suffered a stab wound to the abdomen during their exchange.
asserted
Lawantara → say → exchange
Judge Keith Schwartz was quick to interject, saying there was “no reason for the defendant to have contact” with the homeless man.
asserted
defendant → interject → man
“He didn’t approach, he wasn’t violent,” he added.
asserted
he → approach → ?
“He was minding his own business.”
asserted
He → mind → business
The defendant “stabbed him repeatedly, like in a horror movie,” Judge Schwartz said.
asserted
Schwartz → stab → movie
Family said at the memorial that they want justice served in the case.
asserted
justice → say → case
“I hope justice is served,” Armen Akopyan, Voskanyan’s uncle, told the Los Angeles Times.
asserted
Akopyan → hope → Times
“Because [the suspect] took an innocent man’s life.”
asserted
suspect → take → life
He said Voskanyan was born in Yerevan, Armenia, and moved to Glendale in 2009.
asserted
Voskanyan → say → 2009
The 40-year-old studied in his home country to be a dentist before working in construction, jewelry, and as a dental technician after he moved to America.
asserted
he → study → America
A longtime friend disputed the characterization of Voskanyan as homeless.
asserted
friend → dispute → Voskanyan
“It is painful for his family and friends to see him reduced to a single description that does not tell the truth about the person he was,” Levon Grigoryan told the outlet.
asserted
Grigoryan → see → outlet
“Vanik was much more than the circumstances of his death,” he said.
asserted
he → say → death
“He was a son, a brother, a relative, a friend, and someone who was loved and remembered by many people.
asserted
who → love → people
“It doesn’t matter how the guy was living at that moment.
asserted
guy → matter → moment
You don’t have to take a knife and kill somebody.”
More than 100 family members dressed in black attended his service at St. Leon Armenian Cathedral in Burbank before it moved to his burial in Glendale.
asserted
it → have → Glendale
The Catholic service was conducted in Armenian and was open-casket.
asserted
service → conduct → Armenian
Lawantara spent some time in the hospital before being jailed and charged with murder.
asserted
Lawantara → spend → murder
His bail was set at $2 million, and he has since posted bond.
asserted
he → set → bond
Lawantara, an Indonesian national, has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
asserted
Lawantara → plead → charge
It was revealed in court that Lawantara recently attended the posh Portsmouth Abbey boarding school in Rhode Island.
asserted
Lawantara → reveal → Island
He was listed as a 2025 graduate of the $80,000-a-year private Catholic school.
asserted
He → list → school
The alleged murderer is due back in court on Nov. 5 to set a date for a preliminary hearing.
asserted
murderer → set → hearing
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