Juvenile in Santa Monica Pier stabbing case sentenced

The juvenile charged in connection with the double-stabbing at the Santa Monica Pier in January recently admitted to one count of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury and is a ward of the court, authorities said.

The two counts of attempted murder he was initially charged with were dismissed, according to Greg Risling, spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Officials could not elaborate on the minor’s sentence. However, being a “ward of the court” could mean several things. The boy was either sent home on probation with supervision or to live with a relative, put in foster care, a group home, institution, a local detention facility, ranch or county boot camp, or sent to the Division of Juvenile Justice.

Three Burbank men — Araik Ovoian, 24, Gevork Bagdasaryan, 19, and Alex Akbari, 18 — were also charged in the incident and were ordered this week to stand trial following a two-day preliminary hearing.

Though the minor was named during the preliminary hearing, it’s the Burbank Leader’s policy not to name juvenile suspects.
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