The man accused of fatally stabbing two people and injuring a third in California was on a full academic scholarship to university, it turns out, and was studying to be a doctor.
Carlos Dominguez, 21, was arrested Wednesday after terrorizing the college town of Davis.
He appeared in court Friday in Woodland, 15 miles north of Sacramento, and pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
The University of California, Davis, confirmed he was a third-year student of his life sciences degree until April 25, “when he was separated for academic reasons.”
They did not provide any further details.
Carlos Dominguez appears in Yolo County Superior Court in Woodland on Friday
Dominguez pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and a third count of attempted murder
Dominguez, a former UC Davis student, was arrested by police just after 5 p.m. Wednesday, just a block from where a student was killed Saturday night
A map shows where each of the three stabbings took place
David Breaux, 50, (left) was the first to be killed on April 27. On April 29, UC Davis senior Karim Abou Najm (right) was killed by another stab. The 20-year-old computer science student was on his way home when he was killed by Davis in Sycamore Park
Dominguez was on a full scholarship to UC Davis and was studying to be a doctor, but he was discharged on April 25
“We urge the community not to jump to conclusions or speculate until all the facts are known,” the press release reads.
“We are grateful for law enforcement’s quick response and resolution at an extremely difficult time for the city and campus.”
Two days after the university kicked him out, Dominguez allegedly stabbed 50-year-old David Breaux to death.
Breaux, a beloved homeless man known locally as “Compassion Guy”, was found on a bench near campus at 11.20am and “stabbed to death many times”.
On April 29, 20-year-old Karim Abou Najm of UC Davis was walking home from a student awards ceremony at around 9:15 p.m. when he was fatally stabbed.
Then, on the morning of May 1, a 64-year-old woman, Kimberlee Guillory, was stabbed to death through a tent at a homeless camp at around 11:46 p.m. She remains in critical condition.
On Friday, police continued to search the home Dominguez shared with a roommate and took away bags of evidence.
“This is a really busy road with a lot of people. Children. Old couples and college students,” said Talia Mickelsen, who lives across the street from where Dominguez lives, speaking to KCRA.
“So it’s pretty scary for something like this to happen in such a populated area.”
Another neighbor who asked not to be identified lives a few doors down and told KCRA 3: “It’s particularly scary to leave campus, especially at night, because some of us have evening classes.
“And just like knowing the killer was right next door was so scary.”
Dominguez lived in this house with a roommate. The police combed the building on Friday
The police are searching the house where Dominguez lived
One person was arrested by police just after 5pm on Wednesday on a quiet tree-lined street just a block from where a student was killed on Saturday
A 64-year-old woman was stabbed to death through the tent she was sleeping in. Two other stabbings claimed the lives of Karim Abou Najm and David Breaux
Karim Abou Najm, a 20-year-old computer science student, was due to graduate in just six weeks and had two jobs on the horizon, his father Majdi Abou Najm said
Dominguez came to the United States from El Salvador in 2009 as an unaccompanied minor.
He crossed the border near Galveston, Texas and was then delivered to a family member.
He was a student at Castlemont High School in Oakland before going to UC Davis.
His former high school football coach James Barnes said Dominguez is a good athlete and student.
“Great kid, 3.85 GPA. He was involved in all school activities. He also ran track and field and competed in other track and field sports as well,” Barnes said.
Barnes told KCRA that Dominguez volunteered for organizations and won full scholarship to college.
‘Nice kid. Never had any problems,” Barnes said.
‘Very respected by his colleagues. He respected adults.
“I wouldn’t see where that would come from.”
Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel said he was surprised by Dominguez’s behavior when he was arrested. A large hunting knife was found in his backpack: police are trying to determine if this was the knife used in the stabbings.
“The behavior was quite unusual under such circumstances. He was compliant throughout the process,” Pytel said.
“He was reserved and spoke for a long time.”
Davis Mayor Will Arnold said Thursday, “The killer is off the streets and our families are sleeping better.”
Arnold said the “brazen” murder of Breaux was “devastating”.
A memorial on the Compassion Bench in Davis honoring David Henry Breaux, 50, who was found stabbed to death last week. He was a fixture in the community for over a decade
People look at a memorial erected at the Mercy Bank in Davis, California
Breaux, who has been a community fixture for the past decade, was “instrumental” in 2013 in the addition of a “Compassion Bench” at the corner of 3rd and C Streets.
“The death of David Breaux is absolutely devastating,” Arnold said.
“Many of us knew David. We spoke with him. We shared his vision for a kinder world.
“We bonded about what it means to be human and human.”
At the bench, he asked people their definition of the word “compassion.”
He later published his notes as a collection of anonymous writings.
“Like so many of you, I mourn the passing of David Henry Breaux, known as ‘Compassion Guy,'” said the UC Davis chancellor.
“David lived a life with true purpose, to connect humanity for the greater good, something we should all aspire to.”
Lucy Alves spoke about her career as a singer (Image: Reproduction / Globo)
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