By Nicole Pang and Victoria Luna
Morning: Cross-Examination of Dominguez by District Attorney Raises Questions about Prosecutorial Conduct
WOODLAND, CA – The murder trial of Carlos Reales Dominguez resumed this week with continued testimony from the accused, revealing disturbing accounts of psychosis and prompting heated exchanges between counsel. A combative cross-examination by Deputy District Attorney Frits Van Der Hoek led to repeated objections and judicial interventions, raising concerns about prosecutorial overreach and evidentiary misstatements.
Dominguez is charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, with enhancements for use of a deadly weapon and a prior felony conviction. He has entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.
The morning session began with Deputy Public Defender Daniel Hutchinson continuing his direct examination of Dominguez, focusing on his relationship with an ex-girlfriend. Dominguez recalled maintaining a friendship with her after their breakup, including helping her move into a new apartment in the fall of 2022. He testified that he understood their relationship would not resume.
Dominguez said he gave her a Christmas gift that included a Playboy-branded shirt and lingerie, even though they had been broken up for months. He described the box he packaged the gifts in, stating he drew a heart with diamonds on the top. However, his ex-girlfriend previously testified that the drawing resembled a demon or devil. Dominguez denied that, insisting it was a heart. He said that January 2023 exchange was the last time they saw each other in person.
In April 2023, he contacted her to ask if they could hang out. She declined, explaining she was in a new relationship. “I wasn’t that affected by it,” Dominguez testified. “I knew by that time, she was in a relationship with someone else.”
DPD Hutchinson then questioned Dominguez about his time in custody. Dominguez’s memory of his arrest was patchy; he didn’t recall providing the correct phone number or email to detectives during questioning. However, after reviewing footage last week, he realized he had misspelled his email.
After his arrest, Dominguez was placed in the infirmary at Yolo County Jail and later transferred twice to Woodland Memorial Hospital. He described hearing persistent whispers “like the TV had been left on in the background” and seeing shadow-like hallucinations. It wasn’t until his stay at Atascadero State Hospital and his introduction to antipsychotic medication that he began to accept his schizophrenia diagnosis.
He also testified to experiencing visual hallucinations. “[They were not figures] but a circle or dot [shadow] on the ground,” he said. Dominguez recounted feeling extreme paranoia, especially after learning that his cat, Ember, had been struck and killed by a car. “You get a feeling that something bad is gonna happen and you get overwhelmed,” he said.
Hutchinson asked if Dominguez had gained insight into his behavior since beginning treatment. Dominguez affirmed, stating he came to realize that the “shadow shapeshifters” he believed he attacked were actually people.
Dominguez reported no current hallucinations, delusions, or disorganized thought but confirmed he still experienced negative symptoms, such as stiff posture and an inability to express emotion. “I’ve been feeling upset and sad from everything I’ve been seeing,” he said. “That I stabbed people and because people got hurt.”
He testified that he once told a doctor he wanted to be a psychologist to help others. While a doctor noted this as disorganized thinking at the time, Dominguez acknowledged that, given his mental health, charges, and immigration status, that goal is no longer realistic.
During cross-examination, DDA Van Der Hoek immediately claimed that Dominguez attacked the victims out of anger. Dominguez denied this and said he does not remember the attacks.
Van Der Hoek brought up past incidents, including Dominguez punching a wall after failing a chemistry test. When asked if failure made him angry, Dominguez replied, “Not necessarily.” He acknowledged breaking his ex-girlfriend’s phone during a dispute but denied intending violence.
The prosecution referenced a poem titled “Knife in My Hand,” written a year before the stabbings, suggesting it revealed violent intent. Dominguez said the poem was metaphorical. When the prosecution attempted to introduce additional writings, DPD Hutchinson objected. Judge Samuel T. McAdam sustained the objection, saying the court must first review any new material.
Throughout the cross-examination, DPD Hutchinson raised numerous objections, many of which were sustained. Several were based on Van Der Hoek misquoting witness testimony or introducing speculative claims. At one point, Judge McAdam addressed both attorneys without the jury present.
Judge McAdam told Van Der Hoek he believed only one poem had been admitted and questioned why others were not introduced earlier. He ruled that until additional writings are formally admitted, the prosecution may only reference “Knife in My Hand.”
Hutchinson also argued that referencing statements Dominguez made to doctors at Atascadero while he was incompetent to stand trial was improper. Judge McAdam agreed, ruling such statements inadmissible. Treatment-related questions were allowed, but not references to the crimes.
After the break, Van Der Hoek resumed questioning, focusing on Dominguez’s academic struggles. Dominguez believed he was at risk of academic probation; Van Der Hoek asserted he was facing dismissal. Dominguez maintained that he had only been notified about probation at the time.
One week after appealing his dismissal, Dominguez went to Central Park, where he allegedly killed David Breaux. Dominguez testified that he perceived Breaux as a “shadowy figure” whispering to him. “That’s when the whispers started telling me, ‘you won’t go up to him,’” he said. He lunged toward the figure but remembered nothing after that. “I blanked out,” he testified.
Van Der Hoek challenged the consistency of this testimony, citing past statements. Hutchinson objected, accusing the prosecution of misrepresenting prior testimony. The objection was sustained, and the judge instructed Van Der Hoek to table the issue.
Later, during the afternoon session, Van Der Hoek would question Dominguez about events the following night in Sycamore Park. Dominguez testified that he had turned off his phone but didn’t know why. He described seeing another shadow-like figure “with a gaping maw” that he believed was laughing at him.
When asked about victim Karim Abou-Najm, Dominguez said he perceived him as a laughing shadow. “I thought if I stepped in his way, he would stop laughing and pointing at me,” Dominguez testified. “I felt bad that he was making fun of me. I was not angry, but more scared.”
Dominguez testified that he did not remember the stabbing or seeing blood, although he confirmed that the wounds were concentrated around vital organs after viewing photos in court.
Van Der Hoek argued that Dominguez must have known Abou-Najm was human, citing a statement to Dr. Weiner in which he referred to the victim as a “guy.” Dominguez said that by the time he spoke to Dr. Weiner, he had already realized the truth.
He said he fled on Abou-Najm’s bicycle after perceiving another witness as a “shadow shapeshifter.” “I just remember leaving the bike at the bush and running back toward the footbridge,” he testified.
Dominguez denied noticing blood on his hands, clothes, or in his room. Van Der Hoek showed photos indicating no blood on some items, then suggested Dominguez had washed it off. Hutchinson objected, calling it another misstatement. The objection was sustained, and the trial broke for recess. Proceedings were scheduled to resume at 1:30 p.m.
Afternoon: Cross-Examination of Dominguez Continues
Carlos Reales Dominguez, the accused in a 2023 stabbing spree in Davis, returned to Yolo County Superior Court on Tuesday for continued testimony in his ongoing trial. Judge Samuel T. McAdam presided as Deputy District Attorney Frits Van Der Hoek conducted a tense cross-examination. Deputy District Attorney M. De Moura was also present but did not participate in the questioning.
Dominguez is currently in custody, facing two counts of murder, three enhancements for use of a deadly weapon, infliction of great bodily injury, a special circumstance for multiple murders, and a prior felony conviction.
DDA Van Der Hoek began by asking Dominguez whether his blood was found on his computer. Dominguez confirmed, specifying the injury was located “between the thumb and index finger.” Van Der Hoek displayed an image of the wound and asked Dominguez to indicate the location with a laser pointer. Dominguez pointed to an injury on his left hand.
Van Der Hoek noted scrapes or cuts on Dominguez’s right knuckles and asked how they occurred. Dominguez said he didn’t know. When asked which hand he would use to stab someone, Dominguez replied, “My right hand, I think.”
Referencing Sycamore Park, Van Der Hoek asked if Dominguez recalled seeing a person with a flashlight. Dominguez confirmed, but said the person did not threaten, gesture at, or laugh at him.
Van Der Hoek then questioned Dominguez about riding a bike before proceeding on foot, asking if he had done so to create a diversion. Dominguez denied it. When asked whether he carried his knife in his pocket point-up or point-down, Dominguez said it was point-down.
Regarding the night of the stabbing of Kimberlee Guillory, an unhoused woman, Van Der Hoek asked why Dominguez left his home. “I think it was to get rid of the whispers,” Dominguez said. He confirmed that fresh air helped ease the voices. When asked why he left his phone behind, Dominguez responded, “I don’t know.”
Van Der Hoek asked about his usual route to the Ryder Apartments. Dominguez said he typically went via the train tracks or downtown Davis. He couldn’t recall the route he took that night but confirmed seeing footage of himself biking through downtown around 11 p.m.
When asked if he was the bicyclist shown in surveillance footage from downtown Davis, Dominguez repeatedly responded, “I don’t know” or “I’m not sure.” In one video, a bike was seen entering and exiting a parking lot just after 11 p.m.; Dominguez said he couldn’t identify the rider.
Van Der Hoek asked if Dominguez had gone down that street “to look for somebody that you could stab.” Dominguez replied, “No.”
Dominguez said he didn’t remember leaving his bike near the railroad tracks, though he thought it was fine to leave it there. Van Der Hoek suggested Dominguez walked a few blocks to a nearby Goodwill store, but Dominguez said he didn’t remember that either.
Van Der Hoek pressed further, asking if Dominguez was aware that the area had many unhoused people. Dominguez said, “Yes.”
Footage shown from outside Ace Hardware around 11:45 p.m. showed a bicyclist on the street. Dominguez said he was “not sure” if it was him.
Asked about the stabbing itself, Dominguez said he had seen a shadow in the shape of a hand luring him toward Guillory’s tent. He described this shadow as different from others, which were “shape-shifting and riding a bicycle.” This one appeared to beckon him. He said he flinched when the hand reached toward him and claimed he did not remember stabbing anyone—only possibly throwing a punch before fleeing after hearing a scream.
Dominguez testified that he fled on his bike but encountered issues with the chain, which delayed him for about five minutes. Asked why he went to UC Davis to fix the chain again, Dominguez said he only remembered being at the Memorial Union and that his efforts were unsuccessful. Asked again why he went there, he replied, “I don’t know.”
Van Der Hoek then shifted to a photograph of Dominguez’s desk, showing a loaf of bread. Dominguez said his cat had damaged the bread, prompting a trip to the store for a new loaf. He identified the damage on the left side in one photo, but in a later image, he said there were no visible holes.
He confirmed he did not bring his wallet or phone to the store and said he didn’t remember having a knife, though he later stated it had been in his bag.
Van Der Hoek asked if Dominguez went to Sycamore Park with the intent to stab someone because he had been dropped from UC Davis. Dominguez said he did not recall being in Sycamore Park and thought he had been near “Pine Street or Pine Road.”
Police body camera footage was then shown in which Dominguez gave officers a false name. When asked if he remembered having the knife during that encounter, Dominguez said he didn’t. He spelled out the name “J-O-A-S” and said his paranoia had likely prompted the behavior.
Dominguez said he was experiencing significant paranoia, but was not afraid of the officers. He recalled using the false name previously and being let go, believing the same might happen again.
Asked if he knew his real name at the time, Dominguez replied, “I don’t think I knew.” He added, “I think I thought the same thing was going to happen… where they said I was good to go.”
At one point in the footage, an officer asked Dominguez if he was aware of the recent homicides in Davis. Dominguez replied, “Yes,” and said he had seen crime alerts on his phone. When asked if officers could search his bag, Dominguez initially said he was not comfortable. Asked how he got scratches on his hands, he said they were self-inflicted.
After a short break, the cross-examination resumed with Van Der Hoek asking why Dominguez didn’t simply put his bag down when it nearly slipped from his grasp. Dominguez replied, “I don’t know.”
Officers asked if they could verify his identity through UC Davis, and Dominguez confirmed he was a registered student. He recalled being handcuffed on the curb but did not remember asking to keep his bag with him during transport.
Van Der Hoek asked, “Your testimony is that you don’t remember stabbing people. Have you ever stabbed anything with a knife before?” Dominguez replied, “No.”
Van Der Hoek then questioned Dominguez about a tree carving. Dominguez estimated the marks were about six inches long and wide, and said he had tried to draw a face with eyes, a nose, and a mouth. When shown a photo, he revised his estimate to about four inches.
The cross-examination concluded. Judge McAdam then asked Deputy Public Defender Daniel Hutchison if the defense would rest. Hutchison confirmed: “Defense rests.”
