LOS ANGELES (KABC) — A 19-year-old USC student has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a homeless man was stabbed to death on the university’s Greek Row on Monday evening.
Ivan Gallegos, a Los Angeles resident, was identified as the suspect and charged with murder, police said. He is being held on $2 million bail.
The Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement that officers responded to a stabbing near the 700 block of West 28th Street about 8:15 p.m.
The LAPD said Gallegos saw a homeless man get into his car in the parking lot behind his home. The man allegedly told the student he had a gun, resulting in the student stabbing him, LAPD Interim Chief Dominic Choi told the Police Commission on Tuesday.
Police say responding officers found the victim — a 27-year-old man — who was injured after a confrontation with three other people. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity was not immediately released.
Gallegos remained at the scene and was taken into custody without incident, police said. Two other people involved in the altercation were released after questioning.
In an interview with Eyewitness News, a woman who manages the Delta Tau Delta fraternity said Gallegos was a USC student and a member of the fraternity. The woman, who declined to be identified publicly, also said Gallegos was the man police arrested in connection with the incident.
Last month, USC’s Annenberg Media published a profile of Gallego, describing him as an up-and-coming musical artist who is studying at the Marshall School of Business.
USC students now on high alert
USC students who live near the university's Greek Row first learned about the stabbing when an alert came on their phones.
“It was very surreal to think that … obviously, this area has a bad reputation. Sometimes you can't really see everything because it's USC and it's kind of secluded, but, to be here, it's very surreal and scary.”
Other USC students reported frequent confrontations and fights with homeless people in the area, leading to break-ins and thefts.
Most students said that for this very reason, they are extremely conscious of their surroundings once they are off campus.
“usually, [it’s] “It's pretty safe,” said student Caleb Blumenfeld. “Obviously, we know, and being a male, I feel a little more safe there, but everybody knows that some of the surrounding areas aren't as safe.”
Some people who live near the university also said they have noticed that many of these streets are not adequately lit at night, adding to the concern.
“The street lights, a lot of them, you'll find, are out of order,” said student Hugo Muñoz. “What's happening is they're tearing these boxes apart and selling them, making money off of them, so they're taking the copper wires, it's a huge problem here.”
Though USC students, visiting for summer vacation, were not entirely surprised by the confrontation, they were stunned and saddened that someone was murdered just feet from their group.
“It's hard to navigate because USC, the area that we're in, we're kind of a low-income area. It's just that way by nature,” Andrew Maxwell said. “It's hard to not upset those residents, but also make sure that the students have a safe environment at the same time.”
City News Service contributed to this report.
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