Trial of Carlos Reales Dominguez Could Wrap up Sooner than Expected

WOODLAND, CA – The murder trial of Carlos Reales Dominguez, accused of committing a 2023 stabbing spree in Davis that left two people dead and one injured, reconvened Friday in Yolo County Superior Court. Proceedings included testimony from law enforcement officers and civilian witnesses, body-worn camera footage, and renewed scrutiny over the conduct of police during Dominguez’s arrest and questioning.

The trial appears to be moving ahead of schedule, with Judge Samuel McAdam informing jurors that it may wrap up sooner than the anticipated 10-week timeline. Friday’s session followed previous testimony raising concerns about officers turning off body cameras, inconsistencies in reports, and whether Dominguez was informed of his Miranda rights.

The first witness Friday was an Amazon employee who works on a team responsible for managing customer data. Deputy District Attorney Frits Van Der Hoek questioned the employee about a spreadsheet of Amazon search and purchase records from 2020 to 2023 allegedly linked to Dominguez. The data showed a search for a “combat knife,” although the term had been misspelled. The employee testified that Dominguez clicked a suggested correction but did not engage further with the product.

Deputy Public Defender Daniel Hutchinson countered by questioning the reliability of Amazon’s search suggestions, arguing they vary by device and are not personalized to specific users. To illustrate his point, Hutchinson showed screenshots of different search results on two phones using the same terms. “Just because a person scrolls past 500 photos doesn’t mean they clicked on it,” he said.

Later in the day, the prosecution called Sergeant Diaz, who confirmed finding a “yellow towel located in a white plastic bag near the front porch” of Dominguez’s residence during a post-arrest search.

The third witness, Officer Gonzalez, had previously testified and returned for additional questioning. Prosecutors introduced new body-worn camera footage showing the initial police stop of Dominguez. Officers asked Dominguez if he had weapons and requested to search his bag—he declined. When asked about cuts on his hands, Dominguez said they were self-inflicted. He also gave officers a false name and address before eventually dropping his bag, leading to the discovery of a knife. He was then handcuffed and instructed to sit down.

Hutchinson challenged Gonzalez on how Dominguez became a suspect and questioned a hand gesture made by Gonzalez to Officer Story, which was immediately followed by Story turning off his body-worn camera. Gonzalez initially claimed he didn’t remember why it was turned off, later saying officers wanted to speak privately. Hutchinson pressed: “If it was just a simple conversation, why did he have to take his body camera off?” Gonzalez denied that officers use hand signals to communicate and said he did not recognize symptoms of schizophrenia when Hutchinson asked about Dominguez’s motionless state in the footage.

The final witness in this portion of the trial was Sergeant Muscardini, who confirmed that Detective Michael Yu had intended to question Dominguez. Additional bodycam footage was shown of a 30-minute interaction in which detectives repeatedly asked Dominguez for identification and attempted to examine his legs for injuries. Dominguez gave false information throughout and denied having a driver’s license, ID, or social security number. The footage was paused for a court break midway through.

Earlier in the day, Davis Police Officer Mathew also took the stand. He was shown in a 34-minute bodycam video questioning Dominguez in the presence of neighbors and a police helicopter. Mathew accused Dominguez of lying and asked, “Do you have something to do with the crime?” The footage also captured the ride to the Davis Police Department, where Mathew continued to ask Dominguez personal questions, including whether he had eaten or attended UC Davis. The video ended when Mathew pulled over the car—but notably, he never read Dominguez his Miranda rights.

During cross-examination, Hutchinson scrutinized the officer’s decision to question Dominguez without advising him of his rights. “You were motivated to talk to him at the scene, with no cops around, but didn’t advise Dominguez of his Miranda rights?” he asked. “Correct,” Mathew responded. Mathew admitted that individuals might still need to be read their rights even if not formally under arrest. Hutchinson suggested that Mathew’s reassurance about taking Dominguez home after the police visit may have been a ploy to continue questioning. Mathew denied the claim and said Dominguez spent roughly seven hours in the interview room. He also acknowledged not recognizing signs of schizophrenia.

Detective Yu followed Mathew on the witness stand. A veteran of 18 years with the Davis Police Department, Yu testified about his involvement on May 3, 2023, the day of Dominguez’s arrest. The prosecution presented photo evidence of Dominguez’s hands, noting a fresh red scar near the index finger and thumb of his left hand, and older cuts on the right hand.

Prosecutors also asked Yu whether Dominguez had injuries to his legs, as surveillance footage from the crime scene had shown someone biking away, possibly injured. Yu stated he did not observe injuries to Dominguez’s legs.

Hutchinson then questioned Yu about his familiarity with the Davis PD body-camera system and brought up a separate rape case involving Officer Adams. Yu confirmed that bodycam footage from that case had gone missing, despite an attempt to retrieve witness statements recorded that night. When asked who had access to all video files, Yu said that the department’s Evidence Technician, “Joe,” manages the retention of video related to arrests and citations.

The day’s proceedings concluded with Judge McAdam announcing that the trial will resume Monday at 9:30 a.m., with testimony expected from Dominguez’s father, sister, and ex-girlfriend. Cross-examination of the body-worn camera footage and law enforcement witnesses will also proceed.

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  • Naomi Ramirez

    Naomi Ramirez is a third year political science major with a minor in Sociology at UC Davis. After graduation, she is interested in going into either immigration or criminal law as she is passionate about being able to protect the rights of underrepresented communities. This can be reflected through her involvement in various social justice organizations including Catalyst California and The Undochuscholars Advocacy and Aid Committee at UCD. During her free time you can catch her trying out a new matcha spot or collecting sanrio plushies.

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  • Hennesy Avalos Alcantar

    Hi! My name is Hennesy Avalos Alcantar and I am a first-year at UCLA. I am currently thinking about double majoring in Political Science and Philosophy. I am a daughter of Mexican immigrant parents, making me a first-generation student. Growing up in a poor community where my culture is often discriminated, against has brought me a passion for Law. I am excited for this internship as it provide me with expectations and how the court system is used while also fighting injustice.

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