A University of Southern California student who stabbed a man to death Monday night won’t face charges.
Ivan Gallegos, 19, was walking with two friends on Greek Row when they saw a man, identified as 27-year-old Xavier Cerf, allegedly breaking into cars, KTLA reported. The three confronted Cerf, and Gallegos, who claimed Cerf had a gun, stabbed him to death.
No firearm was found, police said. One of Gallegos’ friends said that Cerf merely “gestured, put his hands in his pants, [indicating] he had a gun.”
“We could’ve had three dead USC students in the USC community, and that would’ve been very unfortunate and tragic,” the friend, Rafael Cardenas, said.
An activist told KTLA that Gallegos carried a knife because the university “has a history in that area of students being robbed, assaulted and murdered.”
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon agreed with Gallegos’ self-defense claim in his statement announcing he would not pursue charges.
“After careful consideration and a thorough review of all available evidence, we have decided not to pursue charges against USC student Ivan Gallegos,” Gascon said. “We believe that Mr. Gallegos’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 incident.“
Ceff’s mother, Yema Jones, said before the announcement about Gallegos’ release from jail that her son, who was homeless, was “a peaceful person.”
“They’re making my son out to be a person that he’s not,” she said. “He was very vibrant. He loved to dance. He wasn’t a violent kid coming up.”
