A man arrested more than five years ago in the killing of a USC music student pleaded no-contest to first-degree murder charges Monday.
Ivan Hernandez, 29, was charged with killing 21-year-old Victor McElhaney during an attempted robbery in March 2019, about a mile from the USC campus.
Hernandez, who was described at the time of his arrest as an active gang member, shot McElhaney on March 10, 2019, as he attempted to rob the college senior and his friends at a strip mall.
McElhaney was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment but later died from his wounds.
The son of an Oakland city councilmember, McElhaney was studying jazz at USC’s Thornton School of Music when he was killed, leading to several packed memorial services and desperate calls from loved ones for the shooter to turn himself in.
Hernandez was eventually arrested in June 2019 and has remained in custody since.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman described McElhaney as a promising young student, a talented drummer and an active member of the university’s Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs.
“[Victor’s] life was cut short by an act of pure violence,” Hochman said in a news release Monday, adding that the no-contest plea will ensure his killer will “face the consequences of his actions.”
Hernandez, who also admitted to using a gun in the crime, is expected to be sentenced in April. Hochman said his office would seek a sentence of 35 years to life in prison.
