A former UC Davis student was arrested Thursday in connection with a string of stabbings that left two people dead and one hospitalized in critical condition.
Carlos Dominguez, 21, has been booked on two counts of homicide and one count of attempted murder, Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel said at a Thursday news conference, bringing an end to the serial stabbings that have shaken the town about 15 miles west of Sacramento.
Dominguez was enrolled at the school until last week, Pytel said. The first attack happened two days later.
Police waited to make the arrest until after a memorial service was held for Karim Abou Najm, one of the victims. Najm, 20, was killed in a park Saturday night while biking home from an event at the school.
The first stabbing occurred April 27 when 50-year-old David Henry Breaux, a homeless man, was killed while sleeping in a park. Njam was killed two days later. On Monday, Kimberlee Guillory, a homeless woman in her 60s, was stabbed while sleeping in a tent near some railroad tracks. She remains in critical but stable condition at the university’s hospital.
After Monday night’s attack, a suspect description was released and residents were encouraged to shelter in place.
On Wednesday, a person matching that description was spotted in a park and reported by about 15 callers. Police responded and detained Dominguez, who had a large knife on him. He was officially arrested Thursday and booked into the Yolo County jail.
On Thursday, police said “significant and related evidence has already been discovered” during a search of Dominguez’s home, which he shares with multiple roommates.
“A murderer is off the streets and our families will sleep easier tonight,” Mayor Will Arnold said at Thursday’s news conference.
“I have no doubt that normal life will resume today,” Chief Pytel added.
In a statement, UC Davis said Dominguez was in his third year at the university but left April 25 for academic reasons.
“We are partnering with law enforcement to provide access to any and all information as part of the investigation,” the school said. “We are providing support to any students who may have interacted with him. As we learn more and are able to provide updates that do not interfere with the ongoing investigation, we will do so.”