$2 million bail set for USC teen accused in homeless man's death

Last week, Ivan Gallegos, a 19-year-old USC student, was arrested for allegedly killing a homeless man during a confrontation. NBC Los Angeles reported that the clash happened in front of a fraternity house on West 28th Street. Gallegos is being held on $2 million bail.

Per LAPD, the deadly incident went down on West 28th Street after Gallegos and the as-yet-unidentified homeless victim got into some sort of altercation, with the victim allegedly breaking into cars in the area. A bloody trail guided investigators to a nearby alleyway where the victim, thought to be around 30 years old, was found with numerous stab wounds. First responders declared the man deceased on the scene.

"The male victim was breaking into vehicles when the suspect confronted him and stabbed him," LAPD stated. "The suspect stayed on the scene and was taken into custody without incident."

After his arrest, Gallegos - held on $2 million bail - claimed to LAPD Chief Dominic Choi that the homeless man was armed during their confrontation, though no gun was found at the crime scene. However, law enforcement sources told the LA Times no firearm was recovered.

The stabbing reignites concerns about safety near the USC campus and the prevalence of homeless individuals in the area. Just last year, another stabbing took place in that very same alley, involving fraternity members.

According to the LA Times, members of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity say their house manager was stabbed by a homeless individual after confronting the person for allegedly trying to steal a bike. "The guys back there are pretty aggressive," fraternity member Scott Conner stated. "A lot of homeless live there. There have been serial break-ins, cars, and houses this whole school year. It's expected."

USC has yet to publicly address this latest fatal stabbing as the investigation remains active. The coroner has not released the victim's name pending notification of their family.