Former UC Davis student, 21, arrested in fatal stabbing: police

A former UC Davis student has been arrested for three stabbings, two of which killed a high school student and a homeless man, in Davis, California, police said Thursday.

The suspect, Carlos Dominguez, 21, was arrested Thursday on two counts of homicide and one count of attempted homicide, Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel said at a news conference.

He was a student at UC Davis until two days before the first attack, according to the university.

UC Davis said in a statement that Dominguez “was in his third year at UC Davis until April 25, 2023, when he was separated for academic reasons.”

MORE: UC Davis on edge following 3 city stabbings in 1 week that killed beloved homeless high school student

“We are partnering with law enforcement to provide access to all information as part of the investigation,” the university said. “We extend our support to any students who may have interacted with him. As we learn more and are able to provide updates that do not interfere with the ongoing investigation, we will .”

Dominguez was identified Wednesday afternoon when about 15 people called authorities, reporting seeing someone near Sycamore Park who matched the suspect's description, Pytel said.

When the suspect was arrested by patrol officers, he had “physical evidence” on him that “could be part of the investigation,” and he appeared to be wearing the same clothing described by witnesses during the third attack, a Pytel said. Based on an interview, physical evidence and his clothing, he was initially arrested for possession of a large knife, Pytel said.

The “brazen” attacks, all of which happened within a week, left the UC Davis campus and surrounding college town on edge.

The first attack occurred April 27, when David Breaux, a beloved homeless man who was a fixture in Davis for more than a decade, was stabbed multiple times and killed in Central Park, according to police. He was found on a park bench where he often slept, police said.

Two days later, UC Davis senior Karim Abou Najm, a 20-year-old computer science major, was stabbed to death at Sycamore Park in Davis, according to the university and police.

Then, on Monday, a woman, Kimberlee Guillory, was stabbed multiple times in her tent at a transit camp, police said. She survived and was listed in critical but stable condition. Police said Thursday she was recovering.

There is no information that Dominguez knew any of the victims, police said.

The victims fought back, based on physical evidence, the chief said.

On Thursday, officers were searching the Davis home where Dominguez lives, police said in a statement, adding that “significant and related evidence has already been discovered.” Authorities are talking to his roommates, the chief said.

Asked about the suspect's attitude, the chief described him as “reserved”, adding “that he spoke for a long time”.

Davis Mayor Will Arnold said during the press conference that “a murderer is no longer on the street” and can no longer “terrorize” the community.

The chief said Thursday: “I have no doubt that normal life will resume today.”

Former UC Davis student, 21, arrested in fatal stabbing: Police originally appeared on abcnews.go.com