Ivan Gallegos, the USC student arrested in the fatal stabbing of a man on Greek Row, will not face charges, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said Thursday.
Gallegos, 19, was arrested Monday night near the 700 block of West 28th Street after police said he and two others confronted a man they apparently witnessed breaking into cars. He was released from custody Thursday afternoon.
In a statement, Gascón said, “After careful consideration and a thorough review of all available evidence, we have decided not to pursue charges…We believe that Mr. Gallego’s actions were driven by a genuine fear for his life and the lives of others. Our heart goes out to the deceased’s family, friends, and everyone impacted by this tragic accident.”
LAPD interim Chief Dominic Choi told the Police Commission Tuesday that the victim, identified as 27-year-old Xavier Cerf, allegedly told Gallegos he had a gun before the student stabbed him. Gallegos stayed at the scene and cooperated with police.
In an interview with reporters, Gascon explained his reasoning for declining to charge Gallegos. “The three individuals all make consistent statements,” Gascon said, referring to Gallegos and the two witnesses at the scene. “There was a 911 call right as the struggle was occurring.”
He added that, although no gun was found, “[Cerf] did reach out for his waistband.”
Gallegos was scheduled to appear in court Thursday, but instead, records show he was released under California Penal Code Section 849(b)(1), which allows police to release a person due to insufficient grounds to file charges.
Yema Jones, Cerf’s mother, told the Los Angeles Times that Cerf suffered from mental illness. She said he was the father of a 3-year-old boy and described him as “a peaceful person.”
Gallegos’ arrest left loved ones stunned as they wondered about the future of the Roosevelt High alumna, who they said beat the odds to make it to the private university.
“It was a shock for me,” said Yahaira Puerta, 20, a longtime friend who saw Gallegos’ name in a news article of the incident.
“He’s a person who always fights for what’s right, and if his way of defending himself was through that form, then I feel like it was him just trying to protect themselves,” Puerta said.
Puerta was part of a friend group with Gallegos at Roosevelt High, where she first met him around her sophomore year. She recalled him as an athlete, playing for Roosevelt’s football team, and as a musician, performing in the school’s mariachi program. Despite his extracurricular activities, Puerta said “he was also very involved in his academics” and “stayed on top of his work.” Attending USC was his dream, she said.
In a GoFundMe campaign originally created in support of Gallegos, that has since been taken down, the family described him as a “dedicated and involved student at USC,” and that he had “found himself in a precarious situation.”
At USC, Gallegos is well-known among the university’s Latino community. A LinkedIn account with his name and picture shows he’s a first generation college student pursuing a degree in business administration at USC’s Marshall School of Business. Posts on social media show him being active with the Latino Business Student Association and with Mariachi Los Troyanos at USC. He was involved with the Wrongful Convictions Club at the university and organized a sneaker giveaway and clothing drive to give back to his neighborhood of Estrada Courts, according to posts on Instagram.
In a May 2024 feature of Gallegos, USC Annenberg Media noted that he persevered as a musician and student after navigating “the realities of both his parents’ involvement in gang activities” during his childhood.
Gallegos grew up with his sister and grandmother, who he helped financially, Puerta said.
“He grew up in a very low-income community, where there was a lot of gang violence… So I know he’s always pushed for social change … and to move beyond living in those types of environments,” she said.
“I feel like his whole education is at stake, and it’s just sad. We’re hoping that a lot of his scholarships and support systems can maintain the way they are,” Puerta added.
Last fall, Gallegos on an Instagram story shared his first piece of published writing in collaboration with the USC Prison Education Project. Titled “Locked Up,” his piece on a broadside read: “And after days of rain, the sun finally presents itself as a glowing hope in the sky. I will dedicate my life to start a movement to inspire people struggling with criminality to seek a better life for themselves because a life being locked up, is not a life worth living for.”
This story has been updated.
Thank you for sharing. Really sad situation and heartbreaking on both sides. There is two families affected here. Gallegos defended himself and I hope all comes to light and wish for the best.