UC Davis stabbing murder suspect Carlos Dominguez 'certified competent' to stand trial

Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Carlos Dominguez, suspected of killing two and injuring one in stabbings at the University of California-Davis, will appear in court next year after he was found competent to stand trial.

Dominguez is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 5 after the Yolo County District Attorney's Office said he was "certixfied competent" by state hospital officials in Atascadero.

David Henry Breaux and Karim Abou Najm were stabbed to death. A 64-year-old homeless woman was critically injured.

During Dominguez' fifth court appearance, defense witness Dr. Dale Watson argued the suspect showed schizophrenia symptoms.

"My opinion is that he is most likely schizophrenic, that this is a 'first break' of schizophrenia, and that he's suffering both of the psychiatric illness and the neurocognitive deficits that are often associated with an illness like schizophrenia," Watson said.

A court-appointed doctor in June found Dominguez mentally unfit for trial.

Dominguez was dismissed from UC Davis for academic reasons April 25, days before the stabbing attacks.

According to testimony in the case Dominguez' former girlfriend said, "the devil was talking to him in his dreams" and his behavior became increasingly bizarre.

Yolo County Deputy Public Defender Daniel Hutchinson maintained that schizophrenia drove his client's behavior.