California police say a 19-year-old college student stabbed and killed a homeless man who was trying to steal cars outside of the University of Southern California.
The Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement that officers responded to a call of assault with a deadly weapon at about 8:15 p.m. on Monday on West 28th street.
‘The guys back there are pretty aggressive. A lot of homeless live there … It’s expected.’
They found a homeless man with injuries from a stabbing, and he was declared dead at the scene.
Police said that Ivan Gallegos stayed at the scene and told them that he had stabbed the man after confronting him for trying to break into cars on Greek Row where students lived.
“The male victim was breaking into vehicles at the location when the suspect confronted and stabbed the victim,” the LAPD said in a statement.
Gallegos, who is a resident of Los Angeles, was held on suspicion of murder and given a $2 million bail. The victim was said to be in his thirties, but his identity was not released to the public.
A spokesperson for the Delta Tau Delta fraternity confirmed that Gallegos was a member and a student of USC.
‘Witnesses reported seeing a trail of blood between fraternity houses.’
LAPD Chief Dominic Choi said that Gallegos told police the homeless man claimed to have a gun. Sources told the Los Angeles Times that police found no gun at the scene.
Scott Conner, another member of the fraternity, told the Los Angeles Times that car break-ins by the homeless were becoming commonplace incidents.
“The guys back there are pretty aggressive. A lot of homeless live there. There’s been this whole school year serial break-ins, cars and houses,” said Conner. “It’s expected.”
Witnesses reported seeing a trail of blood between fraternity houses.
A report about Gallegos said that he was an electronic music artist but was raised with difficult family circumstances.
“Throughout his childhood, Ivan navigated the realities of both his parents’ involvement in gang activities, leading to their intermittent incarceration,” said the USC Annenberg Media. “Despite growing up in an environment saturated with drugs, gangs and prostitution, he focused on music and sharpened his skills to become a multifaceted instrument and vocalist.”
The Times also spoke to Adam Pierpoint, a homeless man who was sleeping in the area of the stabbing. He said that students don’t bother him but that he was not surprised that a student allegedly confronted a person who was breaking into a car.
“I’m homeless, but I’m not a pest,” said Pierpoint.
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