WOODLAND, CA – The murder trial of Carlos Reales Dominguez resumed this week in Yolo County Superior Court with testimony from multiple witnesses, including a former UC Davis instructor who described Dominguez’s behavior in class as “concerning,” and several law enforcement officials who discussed the search of his residence, the handling of evidence, and a six-hour recorded interview conducted by Davis police.
Dominguez remains in custody, facing two felony counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and multiple special allegations including use of a deadly weapon, infliction of great bodily injury, multiple murder enhancements, and a prior felony conviction.
Former UC Davis Instructor Testifies
A former English instructor at UC Davis testified that Dominguez exhibited highly unusual behavior while enrolled in her course in the spring of 2023. Under questioning by Deputy Public Defender Dan Hutchinson, she confirmed Dominguez had been in her class, which met twice a week.
When asked whether anything about Dominguez’s appearance had stood out, the instructor replied, “Yes, he wore a hoodie with the hood up, and also wore a face mask pulled up over his nose, covering most of his face.”
The instructor further described Dominguez’s demeanor as atypically reserved. After she gave directions for a quiz, Dominguez failed to respond with any verbal or non-verbal signs of comprehension. When called upon to participate in a class discussion about a poem, like other students—he again gave no response. She said this behavior continued throughout the course.
She also recalled an incident involving one of the quizzes. A submission bore a name she did not recognize. Through a process of elimination—since Dominguez was the only student whose quiz was missing—she concluded he had submitted the quiz under a different name. She described this as “bizarre,” adding, “Most students in college know how to indicate their real name.”
On cross-examination, Deputy District Attorney Frits Van Der Hoek asked whether it was possible the quiz had been submitted by someone not on the roster, such as a waitlisted student. The instructor acknowledged that could be possible, but clarified, “It was not a name on my roster or the waitlist.”
When asked about Dominguez’s academic performance, the instructor testified that he scored below 50 percent on subsequent quizzes. She observed that some incorrect answers were what she’d expect from a student who hadn’t read the material, but others were more unusual. In one instance, the word “impregnable” was used in a question. While the correct answer was “something that cannot be breached,” Dominguez wrote that it meant “a woman who cannot get pregnant.” The instructor said this reflected the kind of wild guess a student might make without doing the reading.
Due to his behavior and poor comprehension, the instructor reported Dominguez to UC Davis’s Office of Judicial Affairs. “It was clear that something was wrong,” she said. She also testified that, following media coverage of the stabbings, when she saw a general description of the suspect, “My heart sank—I was worried that it was Carlos.”
She later noticed that his name had been removed from the class roster, and after piecing together what she knew, she submitted a tip to the police.
Evidence Collection and Forensics
DPD Hutchinson also called Corporal Detective Alex Torres of the Davis Police Department, who had been involved in evidence collection at Dominguez’s residence at the Hawthorn Lane house.
Torres testified that he located and collected several items believed to have blood on them, including a shirt, white athletic shorts, and a laundry hamper. The items were sealed and booked into evidence. In court, DPD Hutchinson showed Detective Torres the taped evidence packages and asked whether they had been opened by Davis police. Torres replied, “No, not to my knowledge.”
However, when DPD Hutchison asked if all of these items had been sent for forensic analysis—specifically for testing of the suspected bloodstains—Torres admitted that the white shorts and the hamper had not been sent for processing. When asked if the stains were blood, Torres stated that he had “assumed it was blood,” but confirmed no testing had been conducted to confirm that assumption.
Under redirect by DDA Matthew Paul De Moura, Detective Torres stated that all other items of interest had been sent for processing, but the exclusion of the shorts and hamper from forensic analysis could raise questions for the defense about the thoroughness of the investigation.
Discrepancies in Police Report from Key Witness
The next witness called was Deputy Sheriff Christina Giannone of Nevada County, who was an officer with the Davis Police Department at the time of the 2023 stabbings. Giannone had interviewed a witness who contacted the tip line to report a potential sighting of Dominguez in Sycamore Park.
Body camera footage of the phone interview was played in court. The witness had seen a person lying on the ground, with another individual standing nearby calling 911. The witness also described seeing a man walk past her toward the bridge—someone she thought resembled the suspect.
DPD Hutchinson noted multiple discrepancies between the content of the body camera footage and the report authored by Giannone. In her report, Giannone wrote that the witness said the man “might have turned” toward the bridge. However, in the video, the witness stated definitively that “he was definitely turning to get on the bridge.” Giannone acknowledged the error.
Another error involved facial hair. Giannone’s report stated that the witness saw no facial hair, but the video showed the witness saying the man “might have had facial hair.” Giannone agreed that this too was a mistake.
DDA Van Der Hoek questioned Giannone briefly about a follow-up in-person interview she conducted with the same witness. Giannone confirmed the interview occurred but did not have a transcript available. In that second interview, the witness acknowledged that it was dark and that she was tipsy at the time of the sighting.
DPD Hutchison also asked Giannone whether she knew the identity of the sketch artist who worked with the witness. She responded that she did not.
Court Views Police Interview with Dominguez
Following a recess, Judge Samuel T. McAdam ruled that the court would view a video recording of a six-hour interview conducted by Davis police with Dominguez shortly after his arrest. Judge McAdam noted that the footage was “highly compelling evidence,” and emphasized the importance of seeing Dominguez’s demeanor rather than simply reading a transcript. “To see him interviewed is highly compelling evidence,” McAdam said. “The court would not be able to capture the full magnitude and behavior of the defendant” from text alone.
Sergeant Matthew Muscardini of the Davis Police Department was called to the stand as the court began reviewing the video. He was present during the interview with Dominguez, which took place before Dominguez had been read his Miranda rights. For the first hour and a half, officers asked Dominguez basic questions about his identity, background, and whereabouts.
Dominguez gave inconsistent and disoriented responses. He identified himself as “John Joas,” said he was still a student at UC Davis, and was vague about his location at the time of the stabbings. At one point, Muscardini directly asked, “Hey Carlos, is your last name Dominguez?” Dominguez responded, “No.”
The hearing adjourned after this portion of the video. Court is expected to resume on Friday, May 23, with continued testimony from Sergeant Muscardini and further review of the remaining interview footage.
