A former student at the University of California, Davis, was arrested Thursday on charges related to the stabbing of three people in a case that has threatened the college community, Courthouse News Service reports. Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel announced the arrest of Carlos Dominguez, who was detained Wednesday after 15 people called in reports of a person who matched the description of the suspect near a downtown park. Pytel called the stabbings, two fatal, the work of a serial killer. "At this point, based on the information that we have and the definition of a serial killer, that would apply," he said. Dominguez is accused of stabbing three, including a second victim who died in the park where he was located in Davis. A week ago the city declared a state of emergency when police found the body of David Henry Breaux, 50, in downtown Central Park, hunched over a bench where he often sat. The second victim, Karim Abou Najm, was found Saturday night at Sycamore Park with multiple stab wounds. Abou Najm, 20, was a UC Davis senior and graduate of Davis High School. The third victim, a woman in her 60s named Kimberlee Guillory, was stabbed multiple times while alone in her tent in an encampment Monday. She survived and called 911, but remains in critical condition.
Dominguez has been booked on suspicion of two counts of murder in the deaths of Breaux and Abou Najm, and one count of attempted murder in the attack of Guillory. Pytel credited the 15 callers for helping provide a description that led investigators to Dominguez. "These crimes were horrific, they're hard to imagine. They struck fear in the community," Pytel said. "We hope that the announcement today provides some level of relief." Police found a large, fixed-blade "hunting style" knife in Dominguez' possession, and said he was wearing clothing similar to what witnesses said the suspect was wearing during the third stabbing. Pytel said Dominguez could be arraigned as soon as Monday