A Porter Ranch man accused of stabbing his ex-wife at their home last month has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and other charges, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Friday.
Alen Alpanian, 53, allegedly stabbed the woman multiple times with a knife during a domestic dispute on June 20, according to prosecutors. When police later arrived to the scene, he confronted them while armed with a knife and police shot at him, authorities previously said.
Both he and the victim were hospitalized and later described by police as being in stable condition.
Now, Alpanian faces charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon as well as two counts each of injuring a spouse or cohabitant and resisting an executive officer. His bail has been set at $1.2 million.
The criminal complaint against him includes special allegations of inflicting great bodily injury under circumstances of domestic violence, use of a knife as a deadly weapon and his conviction in 1998 for assault with a deadly weapon.
Before he was shot by police on June 20, authorities said that officers tried getting him to drop the knife through less lethal means — using a beanbag shotgun and a Taser at some points. But police said he continued to charge at the officers and then was shot at.
If convicted, Alpanian could receive a maximum prison sentence of more than 23 years to life in state prison.
The case is still under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department.
