enterprise THE DAVIS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2023
Community grieves, seeks answers Davis police investigators work the scene of a woman’s stabbing that occurred late Monday night at a homeless encampment at L and Second streets, the city’s third knife attack in five days.
Sue Cockrell/Courtesy photo
A crowd gathers Sunday at the “Compassion Corner Earthbench” Third and C streets for a vigil for vigil for one of the creators of the bench, David Breaux, and UC Davis student Karim Abou Najm, who were slain in separate stabbings last week.
Mourners gathered Sunday to memorialize victims
‘This is different’: Police detail investigation after third attack
By Lauren Keene
By Lauren Keene
Enterprise staff writer A vigil held Sunday night at Third and C streets initially planned to honor one man, the victim of a senseless violent crime. Tragically, it ended up as a tribute for two. The shocking fatal stabbings of David Henry Breaux, 50, and 20-yearold Karim Abou Najm within a three-day period drew several hundred people to the downtown
Davis intersection to connect in their grief, anger and uncertainty as police continued their search for a killer, or killers. “These are two people with so much more life to live, so much more wisdom to share, so much more love to give,” Mayor Will Arnold said at the event, held by the Davis Phoenix Coalition. “We’ve been rocked by this. The fear, the sense of violation
See MOURNERS, Page A4
Lauren Keene/ Enterprise photo
Enterprise staff writer Davis city leaders urged caution and resilience Tuesday following reports of a third stabbing in five days’ time, with investigators still uncertain whether they’re on the lookout for one assailant, or more. “We cannot yet rule out that we’re not dealing with three separate crimes,” Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel said at a news conference detailing the three unsolved attacks, including the latest Monday night in which the victim survived. The quick succession of the crimes
“to my knowledge, has never occurred in Davis,” added Pytel, who has served nearly 40 years with the department. “This is different, and the attacks were particularly violent and brazen.” Pytel previously told The Davis Enterprise the homicides are the most heinous the city has seen since local teen Daniel Marsh brutally stabbed Oliver “Chip” Northup and Claudia Maupin in April 2013 after sneaking into their South Davis residence.
place where members of the unhoused community frequently pitch their shelters for the night. Police reported receiving several 911 calls, including one from the victim herself.
Officers already patrolling the area responded to the scene and found the woman suffering from several stab wounds. She later underwent surgery and was listed in critical, but stable, condition at the UC Davis Medical Center.
Monday’s stabbing targeted a 64-year-old woman sleeping inside her tent at L and Second streets, a
She also provided a description of
See INVESTIGATION, Page A4
Campus responds to string of violence Neville holds early lead By Monica Stark Enterprise staff writer The UC Davis campus and surrounding community were devoid of the life that a couple of weeks ago filled the college town during Picnic Day festivities. Feelings of sadness and anxiety trickled in the air and on the web as students expressed their fear of leaving home in the wake of the three stabbings over the previous five days. Students and community members urged the university to move evening classes online. At a 3 p.m. press conference on Tuesday, the university announced all courses ending after 6 p.m. would transition to emergency remote instruction
VOL. 125 NO. 53
INDEX
BigDOG �������������A2 Forum �����������������A8 Obituaries ���������A5 Classifieds ��� A5,B6 Green Page �������B8 Sports ���������������B1 Dial-A-Pro ���������B5 The Hub �������������B3 The Wary I ���������B2
and that all extracurricular activities were encouraged to be done virNAJM tually. Slain Friday The night campus continued with extra security and expanded the Safe Ride service on Monday, which will now include vans and drivers from the Davis Police Department for all students, faculty, and staff as an alternative to walking alone or in a small group at night. Rides from campus into the city are available daily from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Meanwhile, officers from
WEATHER
UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley and private security from Members in Black have been recruited to aid UCD and Davis Police Department officers on patrol. “We’re using all the resources we have,” UC Davis Police Chief Joseph A. Farrow said at the press conference. Acknowledging the anxious campus community, UCD Chancellor Gary S. May said that while these incidents occurred off campus, the boundaries between the campus and the city are soft boundaries and that “we’re all the same community at the end. So what happens in one place obviously impacts the other greatly.”
See CAMPUS, Page A4
in race for council seat By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer Donna Neville had a significant lead in the race for the Davis City Council District 3 seat in early returns Tuesday evening. With the first returns posted at 8:09 p.m., Neville had 61.4 percent of the vote to Francesca Wright’s 38.6 percent. A total of 1,969 votes had been counted, with Neville receiving 1,209 to Wright’s 760. An unknown number of ballots remain to be counted, but according to the Yolo County Elections Office, the tally includes
HOW TO REACH US
Thursday: Chance www.davisenterprise.com Main line: 530-756-0800 of showers. High 67. Low 49. Circulation: 530-756-0826
ballots received prior to 5 p.m. on Tuesday. In November 2020, when former mayor Lucas Frerichs won the District 3 seat, a total of 6,628 votes were cast by residents in that district. That was a significant presidential election, however, as opposed to a mail-only special election as Tuesday’s was. Wright and Neville are vying to succeed Frerichs, who vacated his seat in January when he was sworn in to the Yolo County Board of Supervisors.
http://facebook.com/ TheDavisEnterpriseNewspaper http://twitter.com/D_Enterprise
See COUNCIL, Page A4
WED • FRI • $1