A 19-year-old from Beverly Hills has been charged with murder following a violent incident on Sunday night that led to a man’s death. The community is reeling from the tragedy.
Conoray Lawantara was arrested by Beverly Hills Police on Monday. He was formally charged with one count of murder on Wednesday by the L.A. County district attorney’s office.
The altercation occurred just before midnight. Police responded to an alleyway in the 400 block of North Palm Drive, near Beverly Hills’ Golden Triangle area. They discovered a man suffering from neck wounds. He was taken to a hospital but later died. The victim remains unidentified by authorities.
Witness Brigette Barbie recounted hearing noises and finding a man, suspected of being homeless, bleeding heavily. Police questioned Lawantara at the scene.
Video footage captured by Barbie shows Lawantara, with bloodied hands, handcuffed and claiming self-defense. He explains that the other man initiated contact, prompting him to use his concealed carry weapon—a knife. Lawantara reports being stabbed and bitten during the scuffle.
Barbie said Lawantara was new to the area and had reacted angrily when the homeless man sifted through trash earlier that evening. She described the violence as brutal and unnecessary, expressing local outrage.
“We want to understand who this person is and why he acted so violently,” Barbie stated.
Lawantara has not yet appeared in court and remains hospitalized, police reported on Monday. The Beverly Hills Police Department has not commented further on Lawantara’s status or provided additional details on the incident or the victim’s background.
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