California man ruled insane, will be committed to state hospital for Davis stabbings

Darrell Smith, The Sacramento Bee on Jul 22, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

WOODLAND, Calif. — A judge has declared Carlos Dominguez legally insane, and he will be committed to a state hospital in the stabbing deaths of two men in a 2023 Davis knife rampage.

Yolo Superior Court Judge Samuel T. McAdam ordered an Aug. 19 hearing to determine where Dominguez will be housed.

Dominguez’s sentence is 6 years, 4 months — the time, with custody credits, has already been served in Yolo County custody. Yolo County District Attorney’s prosecutors are expected to petition to extend his state commitment.

McAdam’s decision, after Dominguez waived a jury trial to determine sanity, came one day after Yolo County jurors found Carlos Dominguez guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the stabbing deaths of two men in a 2023 Davis knife rampage.

Dominguez, who has been diagnosed with the symptoms of schizophrenia, had pleaded not guilty of murder by reason of insanity to the April 2023 slayings of David Breaux, 50, and 20-year-old Karim Abou Najm at Davis’ Central and Sycamore parks. A third victim, Kimberlee Guillory, was also stabbed and survived.

Jurors on Tuesday acquitted Dominguez of second-degree murder in the stabbings, but convicted him of the lesser charges of involuntary manslaughter.

Yolo County District Attorney Melinda Aiello, in an extended statement issued after the court ruling on Dominguez’s sanity, expressed appreciation toward law enforcement, the jurors, the Davis community and the victims’ families.

“The pain suffered by the victims’ families and by the Davis community cannot be measured by any verdict. Our office remains steadfast in its commitment to seeking justice, supporting victims, and protecting public safety,” Aiello’s statement concluded.

“We hope that, with these proceedings now concluded, the families of David Breaux and Karim Abou Najim, and survivor Kimberlee Guillory, can continue their journey toward healing, carrying with them the memories of the loved ones whose lives forever changed this community. Our thoughts remain with them today and always.”

_____