UPDATE JUNE 21, 2024: Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón has declined to file charges against Ivan Gallegos, the USC student who fatally stabbed a man who was trying to break into his car on Monday. Gascón believes Gallegos had a genuine fear for his life and was acting in self defense, reports KTLA.
ORIGINAL JUNE 2024 ARTICLE:
LOS ANGELES – A University of Southern California (USC) student was arrested for the stabbing death of an unhoused man on the school’s Greek Row.
Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to the incident around 8:15 p.m. Monday near the 700 block of West 28th Street, ABC 7 reports. LAPD Interim Chief Dominic Choi said the 19-year-old suspect, Ivan Gallegos, saw a man break into his vehicle in the back parking lot of his Delta Tau Delta fraternity house. When Gallegos and two other individuals confronted him, the man allegedly told Gallegos that he had a gun, and the student stabbed him.
Officers located the man, identified as 27-year-old Xavier Cerf, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Gallegos remained at the scene and was taken into custody without incident. He was booked on suspicion of murder and is being held on $2 million bail.
Classmates Show Support for USC Student
Following Gallegos’ arrest, many students and community members posted on social media to share support and call for his release, using phrases such as “Free Ivan” and “Justice for Ivan,” according to USC Annenberg Media, the school’s student-led news website.
Gallegos’ mother created two GoFundMe fundraisers, each raising thousands of dollars within hours before being taken down. GoFundMe has a policy against raising money for the legal defense of violent crimes, Annenberg Media says.
Several people say Gallegos acted in self-defense.
“Really, he was a hero, because if this burglar or robber really did have a gun, then we would have three dead USC students on frat row,” Rafael Cardenas, a recent USC graduate and Gallegos’ friend, told Annenberg Media.
The two other witnesses, who are friends of Gallegos, also described his actions as self-defense in an interview with Los Angeles Magazine.
USC Students Share Concerns of Homelessness, Poor Lighting
Several USC students told ABC 7 that there have been frequent confrontations with local unhoused individuals, largely stemming from break-ins and thefts.
“It’s tough to navigate because USC, the area we’re in, we’re in a low-income area. That’s just how it is, you know, by nature,” said Andrew Maxwell. “It’s kind of hard to navigate not disrupting those residents, but also making sure that the students have a safe environment at the same time.”
Some who live near the school said they’ve also noticed many of the streets in the area aren’t well-lit.
“Street lights, a lot of them, you’ll find, are out,” said Hugo Munoz. “What’s happening is they’re tearing out these boxes and selling them, getting money for them, so they’re taking the copper wire, it’s a whole thing around here.”
