USC student Ivan Gallegos identified as murder suspect in stabbing attack on homeless man in Greek Row, officials say

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — A 19-year-old USC student was arrested on suspicion of murder after a homeless man was stabbed to death in the university’s Greek Row on Monday night.

Ivan Gallegos, a Los Angeles resident, was identified as the suspect and arrested on suspicion of murder, police said. He was being held on $2 million bail.

Officers responded to the stabbing around 8:15 p.m. near the 700 block of West 28th Street, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement.

Gallegos saw a homeless man break into his car in the rear parking lot of his fraternity house, police said. The man allegedly told the student he had a gun, whereupon the student stabbed him, interim police chief Dominic Choi told the police commission on Tuesday.

Police said officers found the victim – a 27-year-old man – injured after an altercation with three other men. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity was not immediately released.

Gallegos remained at the scene and was arrested without incident, police said. The other two men involved in the altercation were released after questioning.

In an interview with Eyewitness News, a woman who leads the Delta Tau Delta fraternity said Gallegos is a USC student and a member of the fraternity. The woman, who did not want to be named publicly, also said Gallegos is the person arrested by police in connection with the incident.

Last month, USC’s Annenberg Media published a profile of Gallego, describing him as an aspiring musician attending the Marshall School of Business.

City News Service contributed to this report.