Accused Davis stabber committed to state hospital to restore competency

WOODLAND, Calif. (CN) — A Yolo County judge on Thursday committed Carlos Dominguez, accused of a stabbing spree near the University of California, Davis, campus that left two dead and one injured, to a state hospital until his competency can be restored.

However, attorneys in the case will return to court in a month to give Superior Court Judge Samuel McAdam an update on when Dominguez, 21, might be transferred to the state facility.

A trial to determine Dominguez’s competency — and whether he’d proceed to a trial on the murder and attempted murder accusations for the Davis stabbings — ended Aug. 3. Prosecutors, who sought to prove to a jury Dominguez was competent, said at that point they no longer believed Dominguez could assist his defense attorney. That ended the competency trial, setting up Thursday’s hearing.

“It’s absolutely no surprise to the court that we have a state hospital recommendation,” McAdam said, referring to a medical report.

McAdam listed a series of reasons why he was committing Dominguez to a state hospital for treatment. He said Dominguez lacks the ability to make decisions about medication. If not treated, serious harm could occur to him. Additionally, Dominguez is a danger to others.

The judge then committed Dominguez to a state hospital for treatment for no more than two years. He also ordered that Dominguez involuntarily receive antipsychotic medication for no more than a year.

An initial report is expected from the hospital three months after Dominguez is admitted, followed by reports every six months.

Dominguez is expected to remain in the Yolo County Jail for weeks. His defense attorney, Deputy Public Defender Dan Hutchinson, said people committed to a state hospital should be transferred within 60 days. However, that timeline is often delayed, leading him to ask for a review in a month to see where his client is on the waiting list.

“I do not expect him to be transported within four weeks,” Hutchinson said.

McAdam scheduled a Sept. 14 hearing on the issue.

Dominguez faces charges in the fatal stabbings of David Henry Breux, 50, and Karim Abou Najm, 20, and an attack on Kimberlee Guillory, a woman in her 60s, who was stabbed multiple times in a homeless encampment this past April. Authorities arrested Dominguez May 3. He’s pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.

A medical report indicated Dominguez wasn’t competent to stand trial. Prosecutors disagreed, and a trial on the competency issue only began July 24.

Jurors had to consider whether Dominguez could understand the court proceedings, help his attorney in his defense and comprehend his status in the proceedings. If jurors had found Dominguez was competent, his case would have continued toward trial on the criminal charges. Because prosecutors pivoted and agreed he was incompetent, the trial stopped and criminal proceedings against him remain halted. Dominguez will move to a state facility where doctors will attempt to restore his competency.

During the trial, doctors testified about their opinions of Dominguez’s mental health. Three doctors said Dominguez suffered from schizophrenia. During a hearing about his medication, psychiatrist Patricia Tyler testified about Dominguez’s unwillingness to eat, catatonic behavior and inability to care for his basic needs.

Dominguez’s former girlfriend and housemates told jurors about his deteriorating behavior. They watched him transform from a well-groomed athlete to a man who stopped caring for himself, became withdrawn and talked about voices he heard. He once told his girlfriend he heard the devil while dreaming.