Tuesday, 28 July 2026, 23:13
One day after a Yolo County jury convicted Carlos Reales Dominguez of two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the 2023 Davis stabbing deaths, a judge ruled that the former UC Davis student was legally insane at the time of the killings. The ruling, issued Wednesday by Judge Samuel T. McAdam, concluded the criminal trial with an order for a state hospital evaluation.
Before the sanity phase, the court resolved one final issue from the guilt phase, finding Enhancement A, infliction of great bodily injury, to be true. Dominguez waived his right to a jury for the sanity phase, and both sides agreed the judge could rely on trial evidence and expert testimony without calling additional witnesses. Following the verdict, prosecutors also waived a second jury proceeding, allowing the judge to decide the sanity issue. Judge McAdam noted that all three mental health experts diagnosed Dominguez with schizophrenia and agreed he was legally insane, concluding he “was incapable of knowing or understanding that he was acting in a morally or legally wrong way.”
Deputy District Attorney Matt De Moura represented the prosecution and Deputy Public Defender Dan Hutchinson represented Dominguez. Judge McAdam reviewed the legal standard governing insanity findings under California law, explaining that the burden rests with the defense because the “defendant must prove that it is more likely than not that he was legally insane when committing the crime.” The court ordered preparation of a Conditional Release Program (CONREP) report to assist in determining the appropriate placement for Dominguez at a state hospital.
Aiello also noted evidence of Dominguez’s severe psychosis and daily use of high-potency cannabis before the onset of schizophrenia while acknowledging the challenges prosecutors face in cases involving serious mental illness. She expressed condolences to the family and friends of David Breaux and Karim Abou Najim, and commended survivor Kimberlee Guillory for her resilience throughout the case. “This decision was not entered into lightly and was the subject of many, many conversations. While this is not the outcome we hoped for, we respect the role of the jury in our justice system and thank each juror for the significant sacrifice they made in serving our community,” Aiello said.
Judge McAdam then called all 16 jurors into the courtroom and thanked them for completing nearly 10 weeks of service in a case that drew significant public attention throughout Yolo County and the UC Davis community. Before excusing them, McAdam instructed jurors that they must wait 90 days before accepting compensation for providing information about the case and advised them to avoid engaging with public commentary regarding the trial.
The case deeply affected Davis, a city in Yolo County, and the UC Davis community. David Breaux, known as the “Compassion Guy,” and Karim Abou Najim, a UC Davis senior, were killed in April 2023. Survivor Kimberlee Guillory was also stabbed. District Attorney Melinda Aiello praised the Davis Police Department, the prosecution team, and jurors for their work, acknowledging the lasting impact on the community.
Dominguez was previously found incompetent to stand trial and committed to a state hospital before being deemed competent. A 2025 jury acquitted him of first-degree murder but deadlocked on lesser charges, leading to a mistrial. The latest trial resulted in convictions for involuntary manslaughter. Jurors found Dominguez not guilty of second-degree murder but convicted him of the lesser offense of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of David Breaux and Karim Abou Najm. Dominguez was also acquitted of attempted murder in the stabbing of survivor Kimberlee Guillory.
The ruling means Dominguez will likely be committed to a state hospital rather than prison, with a commitment potentially longer than his maximum sentence because it would be based on his mental condition and continued dangerousness rather than the underlying criminal sentence, pursuant to California law governing defendants found legally insane. Sentencing is set for Aug. 19, 2026.
