Former Altar Boy at Prestigious Boarding School Accused of Killing Homeless Man in Back Alley Argument

A teen who is accused of fatally stabbing a homeless man in a Beverly Hills alleyway was an altar boy at a prestigious New England prep school just one year before the incident.

Conoray Lawantara stood before a Los Angeles judge on Thursday, September 3, where he pleaded not guilty to murder charges. He is currently being held in lieu of a $2 million bail. The Indonesian national was also ordered to turn in his passport, according to The New York Post.

The outlet reported that, during the court proceedings, it was revealed that Lawantara was a 2025 graduate of the prestigious private Catholic boarding school, Portsmouth Abbey, in Rhode Island, where tuition is reportedly $80,000. While there, he was an altar server before moving to Beverly Hills.

According to an August 31 report from The Los Angeles Times, neighbors allege Lawantara recently moved into the neighborhood and approached a homeless man in the alleyway who was going through the trash.

A physical altercation ensued and Lawantara produced a 3.9-inch knife and later claimed he stabbed the man repeatedly in self-defense. In the scuffle, Lawantara suffered a stab wound on his abdomen and had a portion of his finger bitten.

According to The New York Post, Lawantara’s attorney, Debra White, argued at his arraignment that the unnamed homeless man reached for Lawantara’s neck and elbowed him, which is what turned the altercation physical. She also argued that he only produced the knife when the homeless man refused to get off of him.

However, Judge Keith Schwartz interjected to note that the homeless man was minding his own business when Lawantara approached him, seemingly upset that he was going through trash cans.

The judge also made sure to note that the defendant stabbed the alleged victim repeatedly.