Trial of accused Davis serial stabber Carlos Dominguez begins with opening statements, first witnesses
WOODLAND — The long-awaited trial of Carlos Reales Dominguez, accused of the 2023 Davis stabbings that left two people dead and one other person injured, continued Monday with opening statements on Monday.
The prosecution argued that the three attacks were premeditated — from the knife they said Dominguez bought on Amazon during finals weeks the prior December to how he allegedly powered his phone off during the attacks.
"At the end of the day, the evidence is going to be that the defendant did not only stab David Breaux, did not only stab Karim [Abou Najm], did not only stab Kimberlee [Guillory], but for each of those, he did so willfully, deliberately and with premeditation," said Yolo County Deputy District Attorney Frits Van der Hoek. "And for each of those, I ask that you find him guilty."
The prosecution also revealed evidence that the blood of the second victim, Abou Najm, and Guillory, the homeless woman who survived, were on the weapon Rodriguez allegedly used.
The defense's opening statement focused on how Dominguez suffers from schizophrenia, with testimonies from those who witnessed Dominguez's downward spiral from a bright, athletic high schooler to a failing college junior with extreme paranoia.
"The question to be answered in this trial is not one of who did it," said Yolo County Deputy Public Defender Daniel Hutchinson. "Rather, the question that will be presented to you is what was Carlos Reales Dominguez's specific intent and mental state when he did those physical acts."
Van der Hoek believes Dominguez knew exactly what he was doing, saying he tried to conceal evidence and lied to authorities during his arrest, giving them a fake name and the wrong birthday.
The trial was placed on pause when Dominguez was diagnosed with schizophrenia. In January 2024, he was deemed competent to stand trial.
For the past 21 months, Dominguez has been receiving treatment for anti-psychotic medication in the state hospital and jail, almost unrecognizable in the courtroom Monday from what he looked like when he was arrested two years ago.
Witnesses took the stand on Monday, starting with the first victim's sister, Ann Maria Breaux. She spoke about her brother's commitment to spreading compassion to the community. She was not cross-examined.
Following her testimony were two former UC Davis research students who found David Breaux dead in Central Park. Then, two UC Davis police sergeants who were at that crime scene testified. Finally, a detective in the case took the stand.
Detective Alex Torres went through evidence from the scene, including the clothes Breaux was wearing when he was attacked. Torres will be back on the stand on Tuesday, May 6, to continue testifying.
It is believed the trial could take 10 weeks before a decision is made by the jury.
