Hearing postponed for woman accused of striking, killing man while on cellphone

A 20-year-old Tujunga woman charged with vehicular manslaughter after she struck and killed an 80-year-old Glendale man in a crosswalk has retained a new attorney.

Ani Voskanian has replaced her former attorney Donald Levinson with Los Angeles-based lawyer Arthur Avazian. During a hearing on Thursday, Voskanian was rescheduled to appear in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Burbank on April 19.

Police said Voskanian was texting when she drove through a stop sign on Sept. 15 at California and Columbus avenues, hitting Misak Ranjbar while he was in a crosswalk.

Ranjbar was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, where he died of head trauma. After a three-month investigation, police arrested Voskanian in connection with his death.

-Veronica Rocha