A court-appointed doctor has found the man suspected of killing two people and critically injuring a third in Davis earlier this year incompetent to stand trial.
Carlos Reales Dominguez, a 21-year-old former UC Davis student, was charged with killing 50-year-old David Breaux and 20-year-old Karim Abou Najm and critically injuring 64-year-old Kimberlee Guillory during a spate of stabbings that lasted from April 27 and to May 1 and disquieted the college town.
Based on interviews and tests, the doctor found that Dominguez is not currently capable of understanding and assisting in his defense, and should be given treatment at a mental hospital until his competency is restored.
During a hearing Tuesday morning, the Yolo County District Attorney’s office challenged that finding. Attorney Matthew De Moura asked for a jury trial to determine whether or not Dominguez is competent.
Judge Samuel T. McAdam set the jury trial for July 24. The DA’s office predicted the jury trial would take about three days.
Mark Reichel is a criminal defense attorney practicing in Sacramento. He says judgements of competency are often challenged.
“Usually if you have a report saying he's not competent early on, you have the DA's office saying, ‘We disagree. We want a trial,’” he said. “What's the worst that can happen? [The defendant will] still be found not competent if the DA's office loses.”
Reichel expects that during the trial, the court-appointed doctor will testify, undergo questioning by both sides, and that the jury will hear from other experts.
“I think the DA's office is going to point out that just a short time ago, [Dominguez] was actually enrolled in an institute for higher education, a very good one, at UC Davis,” he said. “And obviously, the defense is going to point out something, something rather traumatic, something significant, substantial that caused this rapid decline in competence.”
During the courtroom hearing, Dominguez, wearing a green suicide vest with hands shackled in front of him interjected, saying: “I want to apologize and I want to say I’m guilty and forgive me.”
The judge told the court the information Dominguez shared couldn’t be used against him, as criminal proceedings are suspended while the issue of competency is being worked out.
Najm’s mother, Nadine Yehya, was in the courtroom when Dominguez spoke up.
“I couldn't stop myself from crying when I heard it,” she said. “It's like, ‘Yes!’ But what's next? Where do we go from there?”
Maria Breaux, David Breaux’s older sister, made the trek to Woodland from her home in San Francisco. She said she’s spent the last weeks celebrating her brother’s life with his community.
She said she was processing the news that the competency question is going to a jury.
“I'm trusting in the process and making sure that no stone is left unturned. It'll take what it needs to take,” she said.
In the meantime, she’s carrying on the legacy of compassion blazed by her brother, who was known as “Compassion Guy” around Davis.
“I have great compassion for Karim's family and what they must be going through, losing a child. And I have great compassion for Carlos Reales [Dominguez]’s family who just was blindsided by this unexpected thing to happen to their child. I have compassion for myself and David's community. So there's enough compassion to go around for everyone. And it's tragic no matter how you look at it.”
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