WOODLAND, Calif. — The Yolo County Superior Court opened Wednesday with a significant development in the retrial of Carlos Reales Dominguez after the defense filed a California Racial Justice Act petition alleging the prosecution improperly emphasized Dominguez’s nationality, first-generation status and English-language background during closing arguments. The filing came as prosecutors proceeded with their summation in a trial in which Dominguez faces two counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.
Former UC Davis student Carlos Reales Dominguez is standing trial in connection with a string of stabbings that occurred in April 2023, leaving two people dead and one injured. The retrial follows a mistrial last June in which the jury acquitted Dominguez of first-degree murder but deadlocked on the remaining charges.
Before the jury entered the courtroom, Judge Samuel T. McAdam announced that Deputy Public Defender Dan Hutchinson had filed a California Racial Justice Act petition against the prosecution, alleging Deputy District Attorney Alex Kian focused on Dominguez’s nationality, his first-generation status and the fact that English is his second language during the prosecution’s closing arguments Tuesday.
Judge McAdam told the prosecution this was the “third violation of the Racial Justice Act by the prosecution in this case,” citing other instances in which he had corrected the prosecution. The judge then instructed the jury to disregard Kian’s remarks from the previous day regarding Dominguez’s nationality, first-generation status and English-language background before allowing Kian to continue his closing argument.
Kian began by focusing on the circumstances surrounding each of the April 2023 stabbings, comparing Dominguez’s accounts of the events with statements he made to three different psychiatrists.
Addressing the first stabbing, Kian said Dominguez told medical examiners that while sitting on a bench at Central Park in Davis, he saw a “shadow figure” lying on a nearby bench. Dominguez said he then heard voices “baiting him,” saying, “You won’t go up to him, you won’t,” before he lunged toward the figure.
Kian went on to argue that Dominguez was aware the figure was a person because the voices in his head said, “You won’t go up to him,” before he lunged.
Kian also showed the court images of the location where the first victim was stabbed in the park, along with diagrams and graphic photographs of the victim’s 31 stab wounds, primarily to the back and chest. Kian also highlighted one stab wound that pierced the victim’s hand, arguing it showed an attempt to resist the attack.
Turning to the second killing, which occurred at Sycamore Park in Davis, Kian returned to Dominguez’s account of the stabbing, in which he said he remembered colliding with someone on a bicycle. Dominguez also told medical examiners the second victim was pointing and laughing at him.
Kian noted a similar cut on the second victim’s hand among the 52 stab wounds the victim sustained, arguing the victim also tried to resist the attack and block the knife with his hand.
Among the 52 stab wounds, many were 5 inches deep, resulting in a broken clavicle, a broken sternum and broken ribs.
Kian also displayed body-camera footage from the emergency response to the second victim, including video showing CPR being administered.
Kian also quoted testimony from a civilian doctor who witnessed the attack. The doctor testified that when he saw Dominguez flee, Dominguez’s movements were “focused and fluid,” and that “he wanted to get away as soon as possible.”
Kian went on to outline the elements of second-degree murder, arguing that when Dominguez stabbed each victim, the circumstances demonstrated implied malice and intent. Kian told the jury that one can use the “actions of a person to infer intent.”
Turning to the third victim, the prosecution reviewed Dominguez’s account of the stabbing. Dominguez said he went for a bike ride when he saw a shadow near the third victim’s tent motioning for him to come closer. Dominguez said the shadow jumped at him, he flinched and stabbed through the tent before hearing a scream and fleeing.
Kian then outlined the elements of attempted murder, saying someone must take a direct step toward killing another person for the offense to qualify as attempted murder. Kian argued that “the fact that the knife was already in his hand when he flinched shows he had intent to kill.”
Kian then shifted away from the stabbings and recalled testimony from Dominguez’s peers. Kian highlighted testimony that Dominguez allegedly saw “demonic” and “kaleidoscopic” images when they smoked cannabis together.
The prosecution also showed body-camera footage from Dominguez’s first interaction with Davis police, during which, according to the prosecution, Dominguez gave officers a false name and date of birth.
The trial is scheduled to reconvene Thursday, July 16, before Judge Samuel T. McAdam as the case remains in the closing argument phase.
Follow the Vanguard on Social Media – X, Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe the Vanguard News letters. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit davisvanguard.org/donate or give directly through ActBlue. Your support will ensure that the vital work of the Vanguard continues.
