A man was sentenced to 24 years to life in state prison on Tuesday in connection with two stabbings in 2023, including the killing of a 17-year-old high school student who was waiting for his mother outside an El Sereno restaurant, prosecutors said.
David Anthony Zapata, 35, on May 6 pleaded no contest to second-degree murder for the March 3, 2023 stabbing of Xavier Chavarin, a Woodrow Wilson High School student. Zapata entered the same plea for the attempted murder of Daniel Villalobos the same day, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
The attacks appeared to be random, and neither of the victims knew Zapata, who approached them seemingly for no reason, prosecutors said….