Carlos Dominguez: Former UC Davis student, 21, faces murder charges for series of fatal stabbings
DAVIS, CALIFORNIA: A suspect who was arrested in connection with a series of fatal stabbings in a California town which left two dead and one critically injured has been charged with murder and attempted murder. The wave of fatal stabbings between April 27 and May 1 had triggered fear of 'serial killer' in the quiet University of California town.
The former UC-Davis student Carlos Dominguez, 21, was charged by prosecutors with two counts of murder and one attempted murder on Friday. Dominguez is scheduled to be arraigned Friday afternoon in the Superior Court of California, County of Yolo, as per ABC News.
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The series of killings triggered fear of 'serial killer'
Dominguez allegedly killed David Breaux, 50, known as a "compassionate guy" who was his first victim on April 27. Breaux was found dead on a bench where he would normally sleep in Central Park on the University of California Davis campus. Two days later, UC Davis student Karim Abou Najm, 20, the second victim was fatally stabbed at Davis’ Sycamore Park, a mile away from Central Park.
Najm, who studied computer science, was returning after attending an undergraduate awards ceremony.
In the third and the latest attack, a 64-year-old homeless victim named Kimberlee Guillory was stabbed on May 1. She received critical injuries but managed to survive after surgeries.
Following the series of killings, Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel, in a press conference on Wednesday on being asked if there was a possibility of a 'serial killer,' said they were in touch with the FBI to get profilers on board to make that determination.
Dominguez is eligible for death penalty or a life sentence
Dominguez was apprehended on Wednesday for questioning close to the city park where he is suspected of killing his second victim and has been in jail since early Thursday. The outlet reported Dominguez is eligible for the death penalty or a life sentence in jail without the possibility of parole, according to Yolo County prosecutors.
Dominguez attended UC Davis until April 25
Dominguez attended UC Davis until April 25 when, according to the university, he was let go for academic reasons. This was two days before the discovery of the first victim. His major was biological sciences and he was a third-year student. According to the University, he had previously attended Oakland's Laney College.
'A lot of people were stressed and scared because of it'
With the arrest of the suspect, the students are back on campus and are attending classes that otherwise were deserted since the wave of stabbings began, triggering fear of a "serial killer" on the loose. “I have no sympathy for the stabber," Coco Yan told the outlet. “A lot of people were stressed and scared because of it." The motive for the killings is yet not clear as Davis police said the suspect went voluntarily with police for more questioning, Pytel said. They found a large knife in his backpack.