Man accused of killing mom in Grover Beach found guilty

A San Luis Obispo County jury has found a 27-year-old man guilty Monday in the stabbing death of his mother, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Levente Laszlo Lazar of Bloomington, Indiana has been convicted for pre-meditated murder in connection to his mother’s death.

64-year-old Athena Ilona Valentiny was found stabbed to death in her Grover Beach home in October 2018.

The jury also found that Lazar killed his mother for fianncial gain. This now makes Lazar eligible for a life in prison without parole.

“While we are deeply saddened by the senseless murder of Athena Valentiny, we are grateful to the jury for holding the perpetrator, her only son, responsible for the killing based on the totality of the evidence presented,” said District Attorney Dan Dow.

The jury heard testimony during the three-week long trial describing how Lazar used a burner phone to hide that he was traveling from California back to Indiana.

Evidence was also found that Lazar searched on the Internet for news articles relating to his mother’s death before authorities found her body, the District Attorney’s Office said.

Lazar had asked how much Valentiny’s property was worth and was listed as the only beneficiary in her will.

KEYT 2019