WOODLAND, Calif. — The retrial of Carlos Dominguez, the former UC Davis student accused in the 2023 stabbing attacks that left two men dead and one woman seriously injured, proceeded Wednesday in Yolo County Superior Court as prosecutors presented testimony from law enforcement officers and forensic personnel involved in the investigation.
Dominguez is being retried on charges related to the deaths of David Breaux and Karim Abou Najm, as well as the stabbing of Kimberlee Guillory during a series of attacks that unsettled the Davis community in the spring of 2023.
The first trial ended in a mistrial after jurors acquitted Dominguez of first-degree murder but were unable to reach unanimous verdicts on second-degree murder and attempted murder charges. Prosecutors subsequently elected to retry the unresolved counts.
Since the retrial began, much of the testimony has centered on Dominguez’s mental health, competency history and the legal questions surrounding his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.
Jurors have repeatedly heard evidence regarding his schizophrenia diagnosis and the extent to which severe mental illness may have affected his actions and understanding at the time of the attacks.
Wednesday’s proceedings, however, shifted attention toward the investigation itself and the evidence collected following the attacks.
Testimony began shortly after 9:30 a.m. with Aeris Chao, identified as a former Safeway employee in Davis. Chao was called by the prosecution and testified before the jury.
The People then called Davis Police Department Detective Ryan Mez, followed by Davis Police Department Officer Leo Gonzalez.
After a brief recess, Gonzalez returned to the witness stand as prosecutors continued presenting evidence.
The officer later resumed testimony again during the afternoon session, indicating that a substantial portion of the day was devoted to his account and the evidence connected to his involvement in the case.
The prosecution next called Davis Police Department Officer Jacob Story to testify.
Following another brief recess, Story returned to the stand before prosecutors called Monica McGuire of the FBI Evidence Response Team.
The appearance of an FBI forensic specialist highlighted the extensive investigative resources utilized during the response to the 2023 attacks and underscored the significance of the evidence-gathering process that followed.
Outside the presence of the jury, attorneys later argued objections concerning questioning of Officer Story.
Judge Samuel T. McAdam indicated the court would hear the defense’s response to those objections before proceedings resume Thursday morning.
The jury was subsequently excused for the day.
The testimony follows several weeks of proceedings during which prosecutors and defense attorneys have sought to present competing explanations for Dominguez’s actions.
Prosecutors have increasingly highlighted evidence they argue demonstrates planning, awareness and decision-making, while the defense has continued emphasizing extensive evidence of schizophrenia, psychosis and mental deterioration leading up to the attacks.
As the retrial progresses, jurors are being asked to evaluate not only the physical and forensic evidence collected during the investigation but also the broader question that has remained at the center of the case since Dominguez’s arrest: whether the accused acted with criminal intent or whether severe mental illness rendered him incapable of understanding the nature or wrongfulness of his conduct.
Dominguez remains in custody without bail.
Proceedings are scheduled to reconvene Thursday morning in Department 14 of Yolo County Superior Court.
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