DAVIS, California – Prosecutors announced on Thursday that Carlos Dominguez, who is suspected of committing a series of stabbings in Davis resulting in two deaths and one severe injury, has been found competent to stand trial by a state hospital. The 21-year-old Dominguez will return to the Yolo County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court on January 5, according to Melinda Aiello, the Yolo County assistant chief deputy district attorney.
Back in June, a court-appointed doctor had previously deemed Dominguez mentally unfit to stand trial, diagnosing him with schizophrenia. Dominguez, a former UC Davis student, is accused of three separate stabbings that occurred over five days during the spring of 2023. Forensic psychologist Dana Anderson explained that individuals who are found incompetent may be treated with psychiatric medication in a state hospital to restore their competency.
However, being deemed competent doesn’t necessarily mean that sanity has been restored, as discontinuation of medication could lead to a recurrence of incompetence. Dominguez is currently still at the state hospital and has not yet been transferred to the jail. The two victims killed were David Breaux, 50, and UC Davis student Karim Abou Najm, 20, while Kimberlee Guillory, 64, was the lone survivor and remains in critical condition. Both men were killed in city parks, and Breaux was known as the “Compassion Guy” within the Davis community.
The news of Dominguez being found competent to stand trial brings some closure to the ongoing tragedy in Davis, although the impact of the stabbings continues to be felt by the community. As the legal proceedings move forward, the focus will now shift to ensuring that justice is served for the victims and their families. Can medication truly restore competency, and what measures are in place to prevent a recurrence of incompetence? These are questions that will likely arise as the legal process unfolds. But for now, the community mourns the loss of Breaux and Abou Najm while hoping for Guillory’s recovery.