California police say a 19-year-old college student stabbed and killed a homeless man who was trying to steal his car outside the University of Southern California.
The Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement that officers responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon on West 28th Street around 8:15 p.m. Monday.
“The guys there are pretty aggressive. There’s a lot of homeless people there… it’s to be expected.”
Police found a homeless man suffering from stab wounds and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said Ivan Gallegos remained at the scene and told them he stabbed the man after a confrontation with him about him trying to break into a car on student-area Greek Row.
“A male victim was attempting to enter a vehicle at the scene when the suspect attacked and stabbed the victim,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement.
Gallegos, of Los Angeles, is being held on $2 million bail on suspicion of murder and the identity of the victim, who is said to be in his 30s, has not been released.
A spokesman for Delta Tau Delta fraternity confirmed that Gallegos was a member and student at the University of Southern California.
“Witnesses reported seeing blood trails between student dormitories.”
Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi Said Gallegos told police the homeless man claimed he had a gun, though a Los Angeles Times source said police did not find a gun at the scene.
Scott Conner, another member of the fraternity, told the Los Angeles Times that car break-ins by homeless people are becoming commonplace.
“The guys there are pretty aggressive. There’s a lot of homeless people living there. There’s been a string of break-ins into cars and homes this school year,” Connor said. “It’s expected.”
Witnesses reported seeing blood stains between student dorms.
Reports about Gallegos said he was an electronic music artist who came from a difficult family background.
“Throughout his childhood, Ivan overcame the realities of both his parents’ involvement in gang activity and their intermittent incarceration,” USC Annenberg Media said. “Despite growing up in an environment rife with drugs, gangs and prostitution, he focused on music, honing his skills to become a versatile instrumentalist and vocalist.”
The Times also spoke to Adam Pierpoint, a homeless man who was sleeping in the area where the stabbing occurred, who said he didn’t want to bother students but wasn’t surprised that students would allegedly confront someone trying to break into his car.
“I’m homeless but I’m not a nuisance,” Pierpoint said.
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