Accused Davis stabber deemed competent to stand trial

WOODLAND, Calif. (CN) — Carlos Dominguez, previously deemed incompetent to stand trial on murder charges related to a stabbing spree that left two dead and one injured, had his criminal proceedings reinstated Friday by a Yolo County Superior Court judge.

Dominguez, 22, appeared clean-shaven with his hair out of face — a change from the disheveled look during his summer competency trial. He spoke only one word during Friday’s hearing — “yes” — when asked if he waived a legal rule concerning time restraints.

The former University of California, Davis, student has been at a state hospital since he was declared incompetent, where doctors have worked toward restoring his competency. Last month, Judge Samuel McAdam read from a doctor’s report that stated Dominguez could, one day, have his competency returned.

Then came another report, a week later, declaring just that.

“The defendant is certified as competent to stand trial,” the judge said Friday.

Dominguez previously pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder.

Diagnosed with schizophrenia, Dominguez now has sufficient knowledge and understanding of the legal proceedings against him, and his mental health won’t impede meaningful conversation, the doctors' report said. He now also has the capacity to assist his attorney.

Comprehending criminal proceedings, the charges and being able to help a defense attorney are essential aspects of competency.

Prosecutors and Dominguez’s public defender had no issues with the report.

“The defendant is restored to competency,” McAdam said. “Criminal proceedings are hereby reinstated.”

McAdam then set a Feb. 26 preliminary hearing for Dominguez.

Dominguez is accused in the April fatal stabbings of two people in Davis, and the attempted murder of a third person. Arrested in May, Dominguez was deemed not competent to stand trial by a doctor. Prosecutors opposed the move and sought to prove his competency before a jury.

However, prosecutors changed their mind after a week of testimony and conceded that Dominguez was, in fact, incompetent.

Witnesses, including Dominguez’s former girlfriend and housemates, testified about his deteriorating physical and mental condition over the months. He changed from an athletic, fastidiously hygienic person into a recluse who once told his girlfriend that he heard the devil in his dreams.

A psychologist told jurors that Dominguez had schizophrenic traits, like denying he had a mental illness. He also would maintain the same position for long periods of time, which he often did during the trial — sitting at a table, hunched over, unmoving.

After being declared incompetent, McAdam ruled that hospital staff could administer medication to Dominguez involuntarily. He reiterated that ruling on Friday.

Now held at the Yolo County Jail, Dominguez has no bond.

The fatal stabbings of David Henry Breaux, 50, and Karim Abou Najm, 20, put the city of Davis on edge. The Davis police chief at the time said the stabbings stemmed from a serial killer.

It was the attempted stabbing of a woman in an encampment, and her 911 call, that led to a manhunt and Dominguez’s May 3 arrest.

Breaux was well known in the Davis community. He was an author and creator of the city’s “Compassion Bench.”

Najm was a UC Davis senior and a graduate of Davis High School.

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Email *

Submit