A man was killed Saturday night in a Davis park, the second stabbing death at a city park in four days, and police are working to determine whether the two homicides are related.
The Davis Police Department said that a resident living near Sycamore Park heard a disturbance outside just after 9 p.m. When the resident went outside in the area of Sycamore Lane and Colby Drive, they found a man with multiple stab wounds and called 911.
When officers and fire personnel responded, they located the victim, described as a man in his early 20s, who was declared dead at the scene, police said in a news release Sunday morning.
Authorities say they are looking for a man between the ages of 19 and 23 and 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-8 as a potential suspect in Saturday’s homicide. Police said the suspect was “a light-skinned male, possibly Hispanic,” had “long curly loose hair” and was last seen wearing a white hat, a light-colored T-shirt beneath a button-up shirt. Police believe the suspect was riding a men’s bike with straight handlebars.
Anyone who may have been in the area of Sycamore Park between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. or residents in the area who possess surveillance camera footage are urged to call the Police Department at 530-747-5400 or to email [email protected]. Those with information who wish to remain anonymous can 530-747-5460.
Is it connected to Central Park stabbing?
Police said they also are investigating whether the incident is related to the stabbing death of David Henry Breaux, a 50-year-old man known as the “Compassion Guy” and a regular fixture at Central Park. His body was discovered at the downtown park on Thursday.
“The death of David Breaux is utterly and completely devastating,” Davis Mayor Will Arnold said in a city statement. “Many of us knew David. We talked with him. We shared in his vision for a kinder world.”
The Davis Phoenix Coalition will host a vigil for Breaux at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at “Compassion Corner” at Third and C streets next to the park in Davis. The corner is where the “Compassion Bench” is located. Breaux was instrumental in creating and installing the bench in 2013.
Both homicides remain under investigation, but police officials wanted residents to know that all available resources “will be used to ensure the safety of our community.”
On Friday, police said additional officers will be deployed on bike and foot patrol in the downtown corridor and Central Park areas to create a visible police presence.