California police arrest former UC Davis student after string of deadly stabbings

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Police arrest man connected to deadly stabbings

Fox News correspondent Matt Finn reports on the arrest of stabbing suspect Carlos Dominguez on two counts of homicide and one count of attempted murder on ‘Special Report.’

Authorities in California on Thursday announced an arrest of a former University of California, Davis student accused in a string of stabbings that left two people dead and another injured over the past week, crimes that shook the small college town.

The Davis Police Department said 15 tipsters on Wednesday reported seeing a person who match the description of the suspect provided by authorities. One caller said they were following the suspect, who was eventually stopped by patrol officers. 

"It appeared he had physical evidence on him that might be part of the investigation," Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel said during a news conference.

After several hours of questioning, the suspect, identified as 21-year-old Carlos Dominguez, a Davis resident, was arrested for possessing a large "hunting style" knife he was found with and later arrested again Thursday on suspicion of two counts of murder and one attempted murder count, Pytel said. 

Pytel described Dominguez as a serial killer. He is expected to be arraigned on Monday. 

STABBINGS LEAVE UC DAVIS ON EDGE AS MANY STUDENTS OPT FOR REMOTE CLASSES: ‘PEOPLE ARE WORRIED TO GO OUTSIDE’

Carlos Dominguez, 21, is accused of stabbing three people, two fatally, in the college town of Davis California over several days.  (YOLO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE)

Dominguez attended the University of California, Davis, until last week. He was in his third year at the school until April 25 when he was separated because of academic reasons, the university said. 

"We are partnering with law enforcement to provide access to any and all information as part of the investigation," a school statement said. "We are providing support to any students who may have interacted with him. As we learn more and are able to provide updates that do not interfere with the ongoing investigation, we will do so."

At the time of his arrest, Dominguez was found in the area where the second attack occurred and was wearing the same clothes described by witnesses as the third attack, authorities said. There's no indication Dominguez knew any of the victims, police said. 

The arrest came after the series of attacks that began on April 27 with the stabbing of 50-year-old David Henry Breaux, who was found dead in the city’s Central Park. Breaux was locally known as the "compassion guy" because he often asked passers-by what "compassion" meant to them, according to FOX 40 Sacramento.

There were no witnesses to the attack. 

David Breaux was locally known as the "compassion guy' because he often asked passers-by what "compassion" meant to them, according to FOX 40 Sacramento. (FOX 40 Sacramento)

On April 29, Karim Abou Najm, a UC Davis student, was fatally stabbed while walking home and 64-year-old Kimberlee Guillory, a homeless woman, was attacked while in her tent on Monday. She was stabbed multiple times but survived. 

Investigators sought help from the FBI to determine if the killings may involve a serial killer, Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel said Wednesday. He said the term applies to Dominguez based on the definition of a serial killer. 

"If you use the very strict definition, then yes," he said. 

The university said evening classes would resume after having been canceled because of safety precautions. 

Karim Abou Najim studied computer science and was set to graduate in six weeks with honors. (FOX 40)

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"We've been in contact with the FBI, and we're trying to get profilers on board to make that determination. We've done that in the past.… We're hoping that we get the same support with this one to make that determination," Pytel said Wednesday while responding to a reporter's question about the possibility of a serial killer near campus.