According to the city’s police chief, a 21-year-old former student of the University of California, Davis has been detained in connection with three stabbings that happened nearby in the course of five days, leaving two people dead and the neighborhood in fear.
According to Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel, Carlos Dominguez, 21, was arrested on two counts of homicide and one count of attempted murder.
The chief related the three stabbings for the first time, saying, “At this point, we believe that all three (stabbings) are connected and we have evidence and information that they are and have one person responsible.”
The most recent assault took place Monday night close to campus, leaving Kimberlee Guillory, who has been named by the city, in critical condition. Just a few days earlier, UC Davis senior Karim Abou Najm and 50-year-old David Breaux were both fatally stabbed in two separate parks close to campus.
Guillory underwent surgery at the UC Davis Medical Center after being “severely wounded” in the attack on Monday, according to the chief. She is now recovering.
Dominguez was a third-year student at the university until April 25, when he was “separated for academic reasons,” UC Davis said in a news release.
The person has been identified as Carlos Dominguez. Dominguez was in his third year at UC Davis until April 25, 2023, when he was separated for academic reasons. (2/5)
— UC Davis (@ucdavis) May 4, 2023
He was first detained on Wednesday for possessing a weapon, a large knife, and was then arrested in relation to the stabbings shortly after 1 p.m. local time on Thursday, according to Pytel. Police are determining if the knife used in the attacks was the one the chief characterized as the weapon—a hunting-style knife.
The university is collaborating with law officials to “provide access to any and all information as part of the investigation,” according to a news release.
In a home where Dominguez shared quarters with other people and where it appears he had been between the stabbings, police are executing a search warrant, according to Pytel. He stated that the roommates had been questioned.
Officials think Dominguez is from Oakland, but Pytel said more information is still being sought. The chief stated that he is being detained at the Yolo County Jail as the district attorney analyzes the investigation to make any last-minute charging choices.
The chief stated that Dominguez might be charged as early as Monday in the Yolo County Courthouse.
Davis can now continue his normal life, in my opinion, because I think we have the appropriate guy in jail, Pytel added.
Police Were Tipped Off, the Chief Claims
In the vicinity of Sycamore Park, where the second stabbing occurred, some 15 people called the police on Wednesday afternoon to report seeing someone who matched the suspect description from the third incident, according to Pytel.
One of the callers tracked down the suspect and directed police officers right to him. The suspect appeared to have “some physical evidence on him that might be part of the investigation,” said Pytel, and was dressed in the same clothes that a witness to the third incident had described.
According to the chief, when police searched his backpack they discovered “a large knife that was consistent with the one we were looking for based on evidence from the first homicide,” which resulted in his capture.
Dominguez was questioned by detectives for “many hours” after his detention, according to Pytel. He called Dominguez’s attitude “reserved.”
The chief stated that the suspect was “compliant throughout the entire process” and added that the motive is still being looked into. He made no additional comments regarding what Dominguez told police.
According to Pytel, the evidence was “blood evidence, fibers, and other types of trace evidence.”
According to Pytel, there is evidence that the assault victims retaliated against Dominguez, who had some wounds on his hands and wrists.
A Nervous College Community
The college community was on edge in the days before Dominguez’s arrest, and authorities increased security measures while advising students to exercise extreme caution.
Classes after 6 o’clock were rescheduled or made virtual, and the university expanded its Safe Rides program, which offers students transportation to other campus locations or within the city from 8 o’clock — two hours earlier than its previous starting time — until 3 a.m. Police patrols on campus and around the city were increased.
Tuesday saw the lifting of the nightly shelter-in-place order that had been put in place following the attack on Monday. Gary S. May, chancellor of the university, also declared the start of evening lectures for the following week.
The two guys who perished in the attacks have also been mourned by the locals.
According to a statement from the mayor and City Council, Breaux was well-known in the neighborhood for frequently questioning bystanders about their perspectives on compassion. They characterized him as “kind, soft-spoken and thoughtful, brilliant and selfless.”
According to Abou Najm’s relatives, who spoke to KCRA, the 20-year-old was assassinated while returning from an undergraduate award ceremony.
“I want this to be his memory: a bundle of energy, a bundle of positivity,” said Majdi Abou Najm of his son. “Someone who was full of ambition, proud of his roots, and who just wanted to make this world a better place.”
Elaine Lu, a recent graduate of UC Davis, said the town had always seemed safe – until these attacks – while she was on campus earlier this week.
“Things like this have never occurred before. Everyone will feel so intimidated about it after this murder. Lu told CNN on Tuesday, “I hope the school can increase their safety.
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