A USC student accused by police of fatally stabbing a man who broke into his car on Greek Street will not be charged in the murder, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Los Angeles police said 19-year-old Ivan Gallegos and two others were fighting with 27-year-old Xavier Cerf as they broke into a car, and Gallegos pulled out a knife After stabbing him to death, he was released on $2 million bail.
“After careful consideration and a thorough review of all available evidence, we have decided not to file charges against… Gallegos. We believe Mr. Gallegos acted out of genuine fear for his own life and the lives of others. Atty. George Gallegos “Our thoughts are with the family, friends and everyone affected by this tragic event,” Scone said in a statement. “
Police said the confrontation happened in the 700 block of West 28th Street just after 8 p.m. Monday. According to police, Gallegos remained at the scene after the stabbing, cooperated with investigators, and was later booked. Two other men with him were questioned and released.
Police said they found Cerf in a nearby alley with stab wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene when paramedics arrived.
Los Angeles defense attorney and former prosecutor Dmitry Gorin said Thursday that in order for district attorneys not to file charges, they must find “that the use of deadly force was justified based on all the facts and circumstances in the police report.” of”. “
He added that the evidence “shows that the defendant acted in self-defence and therefore the killing was legally justified”.
In a GoFundMe campaign launched in support of Gallegos, his mother Violet claimed her son acted in self-defense when he stabbed Cerf. Gallegos found himself in this situation “due to the lack of security around his campus,” the post said.
Meanwhile, Joseph’s mother Yerma Jones said she was shocked by his death and was looking for answers. She said he had struggled mentally in recent years following deaths in the family, and at the time of his death he had hoped to return to Houston to be with her. While Cerf did have a criminal record, Jones said he was a peaceful man.
“They made my son into someone he was not,” Jones said. “He’s very energetic. He loves to dance. He’s not a violent kid.
Jones said the past few days have been “difficult and devastating.”
She learned of her son’s death through a phone call from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, which told her that Joseph had been stabbed “several times.”
Cerf has shared multiple videos of himself dancing, sometimes by himself and sometimes with family and friends, on his TikTok page, which has amassed nearly 2,000 followers.
Jones said her son traveled frequently and had been to California in the past. But on his latest trip, he arrived in Los Angeles in late February.
He is the father of a three-year-old boy named Anthony.
“One thing about me is I’m never going to paint a pretty picture for my son. I’m just going to give you the facts. Everyone goes through life problems,” Jones said. “No matter what, he’s still a father. He’s still a brother. He’s still a son. He didn’t have to go that far.
On Tuesday, a high school friend with whom Gallegos went to school at USC described him as a man who went out of his way to take care of his friends.
“He was always thinking of others,” the friend said. “When I heard the news about Ivan, my heart broke. At the end of the day, I know he was just trying to defend himself. He was loved by a lot of people at USC.
Gallegos’ family did not return calls seeking information about him. But in a brief phone conversation Tuesday, Gallegos’ mother said: “He was a good kid.”
Earlier this year, Gallegos shared on his LinkedIn page an excerpt from an article he wrote for the USC Dornsife Prison Education Program.
“I will dedicate my life to building a movement that inspires those fighting crime to seek a better life for themselves, because a life incarcerated is a life not worth living,” he wrote. The work was awarded an Honorable Mention. .
Gallegos has also received coverage in campus media for his work as a musician producing electronic dance music.
In May, he performed at the school with Mariachi Los Troyanos under the stage name IDG, according to recent reports from USC Annenberg Media.
“Throughout Ivan’s childhood, his parents were involved in gang activity, leading to their intermittently incarcerated lives,” the report said. “Although he grew up in an environment filled with drugs, gangs and prostitution, he focused on music and honed his skills to become a versatile [instrumentalist] and lead singer.
