enterprise THE DAVIS
FRIDAY, MAY 5, 2023
Davis police make arrest in serial stabbings By Lauren Keene Enterprise staff writer The nearly week-long manhunt for a brazen killer ended Thursday with the arrest of a 21-yearold Davis man who, it turned out, returned to the scene of his own alleged crime. Police formally arrested Carlos Reales Dominguez in connection with Davis’ three stabbings shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday, a day after detaining him on Pine Lane and Colby Drive, where more than a dozen citizens reported seeing him wandering through Sycamore Park and the surrounding neighborhood. He now faces two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder for the killings of David Henry Breaux, 50, in Central Park; 20-year-old Karim Abou Najm in Sycamore Park; and the attack on Kimberlee Guillory, 64, at a homeless camp at L and Second streets. Dominguez is listed as a UC Davis sophomore studying biological sciences on the university’s online directory, but as of April 25 “was separated for academic reasons,” campus officials said in a statement. They did not elaborate. He previously lived in Oakland, where he played high-school football and ran track. He also aspired to become a doctor, according to an online profile for a medical internship in which he described “how health care can be fun.”
Sue Cockrell/Courtesy photo
Yolo County sheriff’s deputies detain Carlos Reales Dominguez on Wednesday, a block away from Sycamore Park, the scene of a UC Davis student’s homicide on Saturday. “Maybe people think it’s boring or it’s scary if you’re a surgeon and you see all that blood, but saving someone’s life makes you feel good about yourself,” Dominguez said. Dominguez declined an interview request Thursday from The Davis Enterprise.
Earlier Thursday, police erected crime-scene tape on Hawthorne Lane south of West Eighth Street, where Dominguez lived with several roommates, Police Chief Darren Pytel confirmed. Both are short walking distances from the two parks. His arrest sent a wave of relief
through the city as well as the Davis Police Department, which extended officers’ shifts and called in dozens more personnel from surrounding law-enforcement agencies to safeguard an anxious community and solve an unprecedented crime spree. Pytel said Dominguez had
“physical evidence that was apparent on him” at the time he was detained, including biological evidence, and injuries to his hands and wrists consistent with a struggle. A pat-down revealed a large double-edged knife found in his backpack that “was consistent with the knife we were looking for from the first crime.” Detectives continue to investigate the motive for the attacks. Pytel said it’s unclear whether Dominguez knew any of the victims. “There’s still a significant amount of work being done, including analyzing all the evidence that’s being collected today,” as well as DNA, fingerprint and fiber comparisons, Pytel said. As for the community at large, which saw event cancellations, early business closures and other precautions taken due to safety concerns, “I have no doubt that normal life will resume today,” he added. The family of Karim Abou Najm, a UCD student who planned to graduate in six short weeks with a computer science degree, held services for him on Thursday and said they would comment on the arrest in the coming days. Maria Breaux, whose brother David became known as “Compassion Guy” in Davis for his years of work to raise awareness of the term, told The Enterprise
See ARREST, Page A6
Suspect expelled from UC Davis before killings began By Monica Stark Enterprise staff writer In his third year at UC Davis, Carlos Reales Dominguez — the suspected serial killer arrested on Thursday for the three recent stabbings — was expelled for academic reasons on Thursday, April 25, the same day David Breaux, “The Compassion Guy,” was found dead in Central Park. Dominguez first attended UC Davis in the Fall of 2020 and had been majoring in biological sciences. He lived on Hawthorne Lane with two roommates and went home over the last week between
See SUSPECT, Page A4
VOL. 125 NO. 54
INDEX
Arts ���������������������B1 Forum �����������������B3 Obituaries ���������A4 Classifieds ���������B6 Living �����������������A5 Sports ���������������B8 Comics ���������������B4 Movies ���������������B2 The Wary I ���������A2
Arya Lalvani/Enterprise photo
Local and police leaders, including Assemblywoman Cecila Aguiar-Curry, UC Davis Chancellor Gary May, Davis Mayor Will Arnold, and Davis City Council members Gloria Partida, Josh Chapman and Bapu Vaitla, listen as Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel updates the community Thursday on the arrest of a suspect in the recent stabbings around Davis.
WEATHER Saturday: Chance of showers. High 65. Low 45.
HOW TO REACH US
www.davisenterprise.com Main line: 530-756-0800 Circulation: 530-756-0826
http://facebook.com/ TheDavisEnterpriseNewspaper http://twitter.com/D_Enterprise
WED • FRI • $1