A 19-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a homeless man was stabbed to death in a Beverly Hills alley, with disturbing videos capturing the teen explaining his version of the deadly encounter to police.
Conoray Lawantara, 19, was arrested following a late-night altercation Sunday in an alley along the 400 block of North Palm Drive, behind an apartment building where neighbors said he recently moved in with his girlfriend.
Beverly Hills police received a report of two men fighting in the alley at around 11:39 p.m.
When officers arrived, they found Lawantara and an unidentified homeless man who was suffering from a serious stab wound to his neck, according to police.
The injured man was treated at the scene before being rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Lawantara was also taken to a hospital for injuries he suffered during the confrontation. He remained hospitalized following the incident.
Neighbors told the California Post that the homeless man had been looking through trash cans in the alley when Lawantara allegedly confronted him.
Witnesses claimed the confrontation escalated and that the teen stabbed the man multiple times.
Videos recorded in the immediate aftermath captured Lawantara sitting on the ground in handcuffs while speaking with police about what happened.
“He reached for me and at that time I produced a CCW [concealed carry weapon] — it’s a 3.9 inch knife,” Lawantara is heard telling officers in one video.
“I went for him because he was pulling at me.”
Lawantara claimed he repeatedly told the man to let go of him but said the man refused.
“He kept pulling at me,” the teen can be heard saying.
In another video, Lawantara told investigators he attempted to push the man away and leave the confrontation.
“He kept going after me,” he said. “I tried going away.”
Another disturbing video reportedly captured the moments immediately after the stabbing, showing the wounded man lying in the alley and moaning in pain.
Residents said homeless people regularly pass through the alley behind North Palm Drive and sometimes search through trash, but neighbors said they generally do not cause problems.
Lawantara and his girlfriend had reportedly moved into the upscale Beverly Hills neighborhood only a few weeks before the deadly encounter.
The killing stunned residents of the wealthy area, where homes can sell for $2 million or more.
One neighbor compared the aftermath to something out of a television crime drama, describing blood throughout the alley.
“The police were trying to revive this poor man that was lying there with blood, like it was in ‘CSI,’” the resident said.
Photos and videos from the scene showed police officers filling the alley as investigators collected evidence. A knife was also photographed near an evidence marker.
The victim’s identity has not been publicly released.
Lawantara was arrested on suspicion of murder, but authorities have not yet announced formal charges.
The Beverly Hills Police Department continues to investigate exactly what led to the deadly confrontation.
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