WOODLAND, Calif. — The murder retrial of Carlos Reales Dominguez resumed June 22 in Yolo County Superior Court, where jurors heard testimony from former fraternity associates about their relationship with Dominguez and from a Davis police detective regarding the investigation and collection of evidence tied to the alleged crimes.
Dominguez, a former student at the University of California, Davis, is accused in connection with a series of April 2023 attacks. He faces two counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted murder, along with enhancements for the use of a deadly weapon and a prior felony conviction.
Judge Samuel T. McAdam and the jury heard testimony from Dominguez’s peers, who knew him through a fraternity. Dominguez attended social events and shared residences with one of the witnesses.
The witnesses were asked about their relationship with Dominguez, when they met him, how often they spent time together, and whether they noticed changes in his behavior. They were also questioned about their recreational marijuana use.
One witness claimed they were not close to Dominguez because of their age difference but had visited on multiple occasions and noticed odd, antisocial behavior that differed from that of other fraternity associates. The witness also claimed fraternity associates had reached out regarding a housing-related situation and asked for advice on how to address their concerns.
The other witness, who was closer in age to Dominguez, stated they bonded over their shared interest in music production and that their interactions were generally pleasant. As a group, they attended a concert, used marijuana recreationally and attended fraternity-related social events.
Davis Police Department Detective Christopher Ritter testified for the second time regarding ATM camera footage, interviews he conducted with Dominguez’s associates and the collection of evidence from Dominguez’s residences, as well as blood samples taken from one of the victims.
The detective said he asked Dominguez’s roommates about their marijuana use but did not collect marijuana found in the residence as evidence. Ritter was not present when the evidence was collected, although he conducted interviews with the roommates before the residence was searched.
Detective Ritter served the search warrant for Dominguez’s residence on Hawthorn. Because he was not present during the search, the detective said he does not know why marijuana found in the residence was not collected as evidence.
He also witnessed the process by which blood samples were collected from a victim. He stated that AMR was responsible for collecting the blood sample and testified that he observed personnel clean the area with an alcohol pad before collecting two blood samples from the victim’s arm.
The detective described Dominguez’s room as messy, noting discoloration and stains on the bed and comparing the smell of the room to decomposition. He also observed a cracked toilet bowl, an in-unit washer and dryer, two large containers of laundry detergent and bleach.
The detective further testified that he observed marijuana consumption devices, a computer monitor and another electronic device in the room.
One witness, a UC Davis graduate, testified that Dominguez behaved differently from other fraternity members. The witness became acquainted with Dominguez in 2020 when Dominguez was a freshman rushing the fraternity. They said Dominguez was “extremely cordial” at the time but noticed a change when visiting in 2023.
The witness testified that Dominguez’s roommates contacted him seeking help regarding their living situation within fraternity housing. When asked whether he had ever seen the inside of Dominguez’s room, the witness said he had not entered the room but had looked inside.
When asked about the frequency of their contact, the witness stated it was infrequent after graduation and relocation, although he continued to visit Davis for events such as Picnic Day. During the spring of 2023, the witness recalled that Dominguez appeared antisocial compared to other fraternity members and did not acknowledge or speak to him.
The witness emphasized that he was not living in Davis during the fall of 2020 or during the COVID-19 pandemic and that his presence in Davis after graduation was limited to visits. He testified, however, that he had previously lived in two fraternity-associated residences.
According to the witness, Dominguez worked overnight shifts and did not have a car. Both witnesses testified that Dominguez had been involved in a romantic relationship prior to his incarceration.
The case is scheduled to resume June 23, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.
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