By Katherine Parker and Emmy MacRae
Morning – Roommates Give Testimonies in Carlos Dominguez Trial
WOODLAND, CA – On Wednesday, Judge Samuel T. McAdam continued presiding over the murder trial of Carlos Dominguez in Yolo County Superior Court. Deputy Public Defender Dan Hutchinson called two of Dominguez’s roommates to the stand, and Officer Derek Russell was recalled to clarify a point. Deputy District Attorney Matthew P. De Moura cross-examined both roommates.
Dominguez remains in custody, charged with two counts of murder, multiple weapon and injury enhancements, and a prior felony conviction.
The previous hearing in the trial had involved testimony from Dominguez’s fraternity brother and roommate, as well as a college friend and former coworker, who spoke about his behavioral changes and academic history.
DPD Hutchinson first called to the stand Dominguez’s roommate, who had been friends with him during his freshman year (2021-2022) and became his roommate in the summer before Dominguez’s sophomore year in 2022.
DPD Hutchinson inquired about Dominguez’s appearance. The roommate noted, “He did lose a little bit of weight, but not enough for concern.” When asked about Dominguez’s hair, the roommate said, “It was clean.”
When asked if Dominguez had ever mentioned hearing voices after moving in, the roommate recalled that at least once, Dominguez asked, “Can you hear people talking that weren’t there?” The roommate clarified that this was not verbatim but a close recollection of what Dominguez had said. The roommate added that he had advised Dominguez to seek help in response.
DPD Hutchinson asked the roommate if he had any injuries affecting his memory. The roommate replied, “Yes, I had an injury where I fractured my skull,” but he was uncertain whether it impacted his memory.
Hutchinson also asked about changes in Dominguez’s posture and walk after moving in. The roommate recalled that Dominguez’s stride was “stiff,” and when walking, “his arms wouldn’t move.” When standing, Dominguez was described as stiff, with his arms at his side. The roommate demonstrated the unnatural stiffness in Dominguez’s gait, explaining how Dominguez would “stare about a yard away” while walking and had “minimal movement in his feet.”
DPD Hutchinson further questioned how often Dominguez showered. The roommate confirmed that Dominguez showered “a few times a week” before winter break, while he himself showered daily. Although the roommate did not recall Dominguez staring into space, he affirmed a previous statement about a house meeting where this behavior was discussed.
When asked about any changes in Dominguez from Fall to Winter break, the roommate said, “His hair grew out a little more.” Regarding Dominguez’s interactions with roommates, the roommate explained that Dominguez “already wasn’t frequently engaging but more so now,” spending most of his time in his room.
DPD Hutchinson asked the roommate about Dominguez’s cat, Ember. The roommate expressed concern about the cat’s health, noting that it was “getting a little skinny” and observed the cat pawing at food bags. After gaining permission from Dominguez, the roommate and his girlfriend began taking care of the cat.
Hutchinson asked about damage to the shared toilet. The roommate testified that the toilet was broken, but he didn’t hear anything and didn’t know how it happened. He discovered the damage after winter break. The roommate described the toilet as having “the tank broken, almost as if it had been smashed down,” and it had to be replaced.
Although the roommate didn’t recall who replaced the toilet, he believed Dominguez was responsible for the damage. He also believed the toilet was replaced before winter break. After winter break in January 2023, the roommate noticed that Dominguez became “really reclusive, speaking to us less, we would barely get a response from him.”
The roommate noted that after winter break, Dominguez continued to shower less, left his room less, didn’t make eye contact, and sometimes didn’t reply when spoken to. Dominguez also stopped attending weekly roommate meetings, and, during past meetings, he had often stared into space.
The roommate was familiar with schizophrenia and its symptoms but wasn’t sure if Dominguez was experiencing it. The roommates discussed their concerns and, according to the roommate, “wanted to try to have Carlos get some help,” but he wasn’t sure if anyone spoke directly to Dominguez.
DPD Hutchinson asked the roommate about a police search of the house shortly after Dominguez’s arrest, during which pocket knives were seized. The roommate described his own pocket knife, noting it was legal size (about 3-4 inches), opened from the side, and purchased online.
Hutchinson also inquired about the fate of Ember. The roommate confirmed that he and his girlfriend continued caring for the cat until it was hit by a car and died. When asked if Dominguez’s family had come to collect his belongings, the roommate said, “Yes,” but added that Dominguez’s family never tried to take Ember.
During cross-examination, DDA De Moura questioned the roommate about his friendship with Dominguez, which began in 2020-2021 during Dominguez’s freshman year. The roommate confirmed that Dominguez attended fraternity events in 2021-2022, and that it wasn’t until Dominguez moved in that he mentioned hearing voices. De Moura also asked if anyone had raised concerns about Dominguez’s behavior before winter break. The roommate said, “No,” and confirmed that they couldn’t always monitor Dominguez’s behavior due to their own academic schedules.
DDA De Moura brought up Dominguez’s rent arrears, which the roommate confirmed, adding that the rent was collected electronically via Zelle. The roommate wasn’t the one to discuss the rent issue with Dominguez, as it was likely another roommate.
DDA De Moura also questioned whether the broken toilet could still be used, to which the roommate replied, “I don’t think so.” The roommate didn’t witness Dominguez break anything and recalled an instance when Dominguez had shoved people at a party. The roommate explained that, during the party, Dominguez had shoved some friends, prompting them to physically restrain him.
De Moura asked if Dominguez had ever been seen with a knife outside the kitchen. The roommate replied no, stating that they had not seen Dominguez engage in any knife-related activities, such as knife throwing.
DDA De Moura also inquired whether Dominguez went out late at night. The roommate confirmed that Dominguez did, though he was unaware of where Dominguez went, as Dominguez no longer worked at Jack in the Box.
DPD Hutchinson once again questioned the roommate about the party altercation. The roommate confirmed that Dominguez had shoved multiple people, including himself, though he wasn’t sure why. This incident was the first time such behavior occurred.
The roommate also described Dominguez’s strange behavior after the altercation, noting that Dominguez was not speaking or looking at anyone and seemed to “float” through the crowd.
DPD Hutchinson recalled Officer Derek Russell to the stand for a brief clarifying question. After reviewing body cam footage, they confirmed that the date and time matched correctly.
Next, DPD Hutchinson called Phillip Han, another of Dominguez’s roommates and fraternity brothers. Han first met Dominguez in 2020-2021 and offered him the open spot in the house after another roommate moved out. It was after Dominguez moved in that he began discussing hearing voices.
DPD Hutchinson asked Han about incidents where Dominguez mentioned hearing or seeing things. Han recalled a time when they were in his car, eating Jack in the Box, and Dominguez asked if Han heard voices. Han tried to clarify if Dominguez meant “his brain moving faster” and asked for more details, but Dominguez didn’t answer. Han suggested that Dominguez seek a free check-up at UC Davis Medical Center.
Han also recalled another incident where Dominguez seemed to hear something that wasn’t there, looking around the room and asking, “Did you say something? Did you hear that?” Han confirmed that there was nothing there.
DPD Hutchinson questioned Han about the toilet damage. Han didn’t witness the incident but saw the toilet afterward, describing the damage: “The toilet lid was shattered, the towel hanger right above was ripped off.” Han was the one who replaced and installed the new toilet, confirming that it was fixed “after Carlos’ arrest date” on May 3, 2023. Han agreed with Hutchinson that he heard “ceramic shattering, metal falling to the floor” after Dominguez came out of the bathroom and went to his room.
Han confirmed that, after winter break, he and the other roommates began discussing their concerns about Dominguez’s mental health. Han was familiar with the symptoms of schizophrenia and confirmed that the roommates had tried to decide who should reach out to Dominguez. Han mentioned that he had suggested Dominguez visit UC Davis Medical Center for a check-up.
DPD Hutchinson also asked Han about Dominguez’s ex-girlfriend, Kaylee, who had reached out to him on behalf of Dominguez’s siblings, who couldn’t get in touch with him. Han said Dominguez had shrugged and closed the door when he mentioned that his siblings were trying to reach him.
During cross-examination, DDA De Moura asked Han about the timeline of his friendship with Dominguez, which had lasted around two years. Han confirmed that there was only one instance of Dominguez mentioning hearing voices in the car, contrary to his earlier testimony, where he had said there were two such incidents.
De Moura also questioned Han about the altercation at the party, where Han said the fight took place in a “common area” of the house. This contradicted the earlier testimony of another roommate, who said the fight had occurred in his bedroom. Han was unsure who started the fight, and, after the incident, he and Dominguez were no longer close. Han explained that Dominguez “couldn’t communicate, he had stopped talking.”
De Moura asked Han to clarify the timeline between the party incident and the toilet damage. Han confirmed that it was “after the fight” and recalled that the toilet incident occurred around 6 or 7 p.m., when it was dark outside.
Further questioning was delayed due to time constraints, but it is likely that De Moura will revisit discrepancies regarding the number of times Dominguez mentioned hearing voices and the timeline of the incidents.
Han was scheduled to complete his testimony when the trial resumed later that afternoon at 1:30 p.m.
Afternoon – Defense Brings Key Witnesses in Dominguez Trial
On Day 13 of the jury trial for Carlos Reales Dominguez, proceedings resumed in Yolo County Superior Court under the supervision of Judge Samuel T. Adams. The afternoon began with the defense calling several witnesses, including a former roommate of the accused, a witness to the aftermath of the second stabbing, two police officers involved in the investigation, and one officer who had extracted a victim’s cell phone.
Dominguez faces charges of two counts of murder, with additional enhancements for the use of a deadly weapon, infliction of great bodily injury, multiple murders, and a prior felony conviction.
After the midday break, Deputy District Attorney Matt De Moura commenced cross-examination of Dominguez’s former roommate. The witness, Han, had lived with Dominguez during the year of his arrest. Han testified that Dominguez would often come and go during the early morning and late night, as he had “heard the door.”
The witness was shown a photograph of a smashed toilet and identified it as having been broken by Dominguez. Han, along with the other roommates, was unaware of the reason for the toilet’s destruction.
Han installed a new toilet himself after waiting six months to do so. Deputy Public Defender Dan Hutchinson questioned the delay, asking, “Did you wait six months to repair that toilet? Is that your testimony?” Han responded, “Yes… we were kinda lazy.”
The witness also recalled an incident in which there had been a pushing altercation between roommates. Initially, Han stated that it occurred on the same day as the toilet incident, but later recanted, admitting, “My memory’s pretty hazy.”
Han also mentioned that Dominguez was the only one in the house who rode a mountain bike.
Next, DPD Hutchinson called a bystander to the stand. This witness, a West Davis resident, often biked through Sycamore Park. She testified that she had ridden through the park on the night of April 29, 2023, when the second stabbing occurred.
The witness described the park, noting that it was around 9 p.m. and still “twilight,” though “darker in the shadows.” She stated that she saw “two figures, one lying and one standing,” both of whom appeared to be “male and adult.”
The witness recalled thinking that the scene appeared to be a “medical emergency… maybe someone fainted,” and she believed that the man standing was “in control of the situation.” Feeling that she would have been more of a hindrance than help, she chose not to stop to check on the men and could not get a clear view of what was happening.
At this point, the witness broke down in tears on the stand, recalling how traumatic that night was. “It weighed heavy on me,” she said. She continued her testimony, stating that as she was leaving, she saw another man jogging away. She described him as having “dark curly hair” and “olive skin… maybe Hispanic,” a description consistent with other witness testimony during the trial.
DPD Hutchinson asked the witness, “Do you have insufficient present recollection to testify fully?” She answered, “Yes.” It was clear that the witness struggled with her recollection.
Deputy District Attorney Frits van der Hoek then inquired if her memory had been clearer when she initially reported the incident to police. The witness confirmed it had been, but noted that the park was dark, her phone was dead, and she had consumed one glass of wine before making her observations.
After questioning by DDA Van der Hoek, DPD Hutchinson asked the witness, “Are you just saying yes because a prosecutor is asking you questions, or did you really remember?” She admitted that “a few times probably” she hadn’t truly remembered, but insisted that she did have some recollection.
The defense then called Khalid Sadiqi to the stand. Sadiqi, an employee at Steve’s Pizza in Davis for the past three years, was working the night of the third stabbing.
Sadiqi’s testimony seemed to counter a previous witness statement by Isaac Cheeseman, who testified on the fifth day of the trial that he saw Dominguez “scoping out” the tents of unhoused individuals shortly before one of them was stabbed.
Sadiqi testified that he lives at Motel 6 on Chiles Rd. near Mace Blvd. and walks to work. He recounted how he was chased by a homeless individual, later identified as Cheeseman, and said he felt “frightened” and began jogging to get away. Sadiqi was wearing all black at the time.
Security footage from the night of May 1, 2023, showed Sadiqi jogging, and he confirmed, “That was me running,” directly contradicting Cheeseman’s testimony.
The defense called Pheng Lee, a police officer who responded to the second stabbing on April 29, 2023. Lee testified that a man had fled the scene on a bike and that he had interviewed a doctor who tried to save the life of the second victim. DPD Hutchinson questioned why the doctor had not provided more details initially, and DDA De Moura asked Lee, “When you’re going through a traumatic experience, do you always give all the details?” Lee responded, “No.”
Next, the defense called Sergeant Stephen Ramos to the stand. Ramos, who had also responded to the second stabbing, was one of two officers who interviewed Dominguez after his arrest. DPD Hutchinson inquired whether Ramos had “received any training on recognizing schizophrenia” or if he “knew the symptoms.” Ramos testified that he had not.
DPD Hutchinson’s final witness for the day was Linda Schwend, a member of the team that extracted the phone of Kimberlee Guillory, the third and final stabbing victim. Schwend testified that a “complete” extraction was done, revealing that Guillory had made two 911 calls—one at 11:42 p.m. and the other at 11:49 p.m. on the night she was stabbed.
The trial will reconvene Thursday, May 22, at 9:30 a.m. in Yolo County Superior Court.
