A man accused of stabbing his mother to death in Grover Beach in 2018 will stand trial in the case.
Levente Laszlo Lazar appeared in court for a preliminary hearing Monday.
He is charged in the death of Athena Valentiny, 64. She was killed in her home on or around October 24, 2018. Her body was discovered on October 25 during a welfare check at her home in the 200 block of South 9th Street.
Lazar, who lived in Indiana, was arrested in November after a joint investigation by the Grover Beach Police Department and the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s office.
In January, prosecutors filed an allegation of special circumstances in the case, saying Lazar was motivated by financial gain. The special circumstance allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty if convicted, however, District Attorney Dan Dow previously said prosecutors plan to seek life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Lazar is due back in court on May 1.
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DA’s office: Motive for Grover Beach murder was financial gain
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