Man sentenced in killing of Long Beach grandmother

One of two men convicted of murder in a 76-year-old woman’s stabbing death during a burglary at her Long Beach home was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Daniia Lasean Davis, 26, was found guilty May 13 of one count each of first-degree murder, first-degree burglary with a person present and attempted residential robbery.

Jurors also found true the special circumstance allegations of murder during the commission of a burglary and robbery against Davis, who is also known as Dontae Davis.

Co-defendant Freddie James Battle, 27, was convicted of the same charges and allegations. He is set to be sentenced Thursday in Long Beach.

The two were charged in the Jan. 31, 2009, killing of Leam Sovanasy, who was found dead in her home in the 1400 block of Peterson Avenue.

She had emigrated to the United States from Cambodia after surviving the Khmer Rouge genocide.

The two were arrested by Long Beach police in September 2013 in coection with the killing.

Shortly after the arrests, police said they had circulated a composite sketch of the driver of a white Chevrolet Caprice that had been seen in the area around the time of the killing.

Police said then that a man identifying himself as Davis called the lead detective in the case in August 2013 and said he was the man in the sketch. The caller tried to get information on the case and promised to come into the police station with his attoey, but never did, according to Long Beach police.

Davis and Battle have been held without bail.