A 19-year-old University of Southern California (USC) student has been arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for the stabbing death of a homeless man on Monday night, authorities confirmed.
The Los Angeles Police Department posted a press release online announcing that authorities arrested 19-year-old Ivan Gallegos and charged him with murder following an incident involving a 27-year-old homeless man near the school’s Greek section. At approximately 8:15 p.m., authorities responded to a call of an “assault victim” and subsequently found an injured, unidentified 27-year-old man, who the Los Angeles Fire Department announced was pronounced dead at the scene. (Related article: Blue City sees sharp rise in homelessness despite hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies)
“The investigation determined that the victim was injured during a confrontation with three males,” the press release stated. “The other two males involved were questioned and released at the scene. The investigation remains ongoing and will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for consideration of charges.”
LAPD News: Murder suspect arrested pic.twitter.com/7dREIMZ6F7
— LAPD PIO (@LAPDPIO) June 19, 2024
Gallegos reportedly told officers the homeless man had a gun, but a law enforcement source told the Los Angeles Times that no gun was found at the scene.
“He’s a good kid,” the 19-year-old’s mother told the outlet on Tuesday.
Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi reportedly told the Los Angeles Police Commission that the 27-year-old victim had been vandalizing vehicles in the area prior to the incident with Gallegos. according to Local residents confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that there had been a disturbance in the area, and a stabbing also occurred in the same spot last year after a homeless man attacked a manger after being confronted about stealing a bike, a fraternity member told the paper.
“The guys there are pretty aggressive. There’s a lot of homeless people living there. There’s been a string of break-ins to cars and homes this school year,” the fraternity member said. “It’s expected.”
March data from Democratic cities showed violent crime was up about 2.9% compared to the same period last year, while robberies were up 9.5%. according to To Fox LA.
No charges have been filed against Gallegos, who is currently being held on $2 million bail.
