USC student Ivan Gallegos is home after Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced last week he would not be charged for fatally stabbing an unhoused man.
“He’s still traumatized,” Najee Ali, Gallegos’s family friend, said.
Ali told Annenberg Media on Monday that the student’s mother had returned all the donations she had collected for his legal fees and bail.
It’s not known when Gallegos might return to campus or whether the university has contacted him. USC declined Annenberg Media’s request for comment about the situation.
“We’re relieved,” Ali said. “Obviously there are no winners here, a man has lost his life stealing but Ivan has to live with this the rest of his life as well, psychologically and emotionally.”
Before the decision, Gallegos’ community was rallying behind him. Around 40 friends and family appeared at the courthouse Thursday as the DA’s office concluded the stabbing was motivated by self-preservation.
“After careful consideration and a thorough review of all available evidence, we have decided not to pursue charges against USC student Ivan Gallegos. 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,” Gascón said in a statement.
Xavier Cerf, 27, was allegedly trying to steal from cars on Greek Row when he was confronted and ultimately killed. The DA’s office says Cerf was inside Gallegos’s roommate’s car when Gallegos and two others confronted him. Cerf allegedly claimed he had a gun and reached towards his hip before being stabbed four times. He is survived by his mother and three-year-old son.
After Gallegos’ charges were dropped, Cerf’s mother, Yema Jones, posted a GoFundMe to return his body to Texas and fund his burial. The fundraiser has accumulated more than $4,700 as of Monday. She has not responded to an interview request.
Cerf faced mental struggles in recent years, Jones told the Los Angeles Times, and had a criminal record in Texas and California. But she described him as a “vibrant” person who “loved to dance.”
“One thing about me is I’m never going to paint a pretty picture about my son. I’m just going to give you facts. Everybody goes through life issues,” Jones told the LA Times. “Regardless, he was still a father. He was still a brother. He was still a son. It didn’t have to go that far.”
Gallegos was being held on a $2 million bail following his June 17 arrest. Gallegos’ family had set up multiple GoFundMe pages which were taken down by the site after a combined $10,000 had been donated. That money also was refunded. GoFundMe’s Terms of Service do not allow fundraising for the legal defense of violent crimes but it is unclear if the two pages were removed for that reason.