A man who allegedly stabbed his ex-wife at the Porter Ranch home they shared, triggering an officer-involved shooting, is facing attempted murder and other charges that carry a potential sentence of 23 years to life in state prison.
Alen Alpanian, 53, pleaded not guilty Thursday to one count each of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon — a knife — and two counts each of injuring a spouse or cohabitant and resisting an executive officer, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The charges include allegations that Alpanian inflicted great bodily injury under circumstances of domestic violence, used a knife as a deadly and dangerous weapon and that he was previously convicted in 1998 of assault with a deadly weapon.
Officers responding to a call around 10:40 p.m. June 10 of a domestic disturbance at a home in a gated community in the 20000 block of Sardinia Avenue found a woman who had been stabbed multiple times and a man who approached them while holding a knife, according to LAPD Sgt. Barry Montgomery said.
“After numerous commands to drop that knife, the suspect failed to comply. That’s when officers deployed a beanbag (weapon) and a taser, both of which proved ineffective,” the sergeant said. “At some point, the suspect advanced on officers, and that’s when the officer-involved shooting occurred.”
The suspect and the victim were both taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, Montgomery said. No officers were hurt.
Alpanian is due back in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Aug. 9, when a date is scheduled to be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to require him to stand trial.
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