UC Davis stabbings suspect deemed not competent to stand trial, will be transferred to state hospital

By Cheri Mossburg, CNN

(CNN) — The former University of California Davis student accused in a series of stabbings earlier this year is set to be transferred to a state hospital after a court-appointed psychologist deemed him not competent to stand trial.

A jury had been hearing evidence in the case because prosecutors with the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office had contested the court-appointed psychologist’s opinion on Carlos Dominguez’s mental fitness back in June.

Prosecutors dropped their challenge regarding his competency to stand trial last week, prompting the judge to dismiss the jury and suspend the case.

“At this point there is no longer a dispute as to his competency and the court has issued an order that Carlos Dominguez is not competent to stand trial,” Judge Samuel McAdam told the jury during a Monday hearing.

“We disagreed with the initial doctor’s report and how she reached her conclusions regarding competency,” the DA’s office said in a statement Thursday. “However, based on the information that came out in trial and the recently initiated involuntary medication proceedings, we are now in agreement that Mr. Dominguez is presently not competent to stand trial.”

Authorities have accused Dominguez, who was 21 when he was arrested, of fatally stabbing UC Davis senior Karim Abou Najm and 50-year-old David Breaux in parks near the university campus in late April, and injuring Kimberlee Guillory in a stabbing near campus in early May.

Dominguez had pleaded not guilty to two murder charges and one attempted murder charge through his attorney after his arrest in May. During a subsequent hearing in June, he interrupted a competency hearing to profess his guilt.

In July, Dr. Juliana Rohrer, a psychologist appointed by the court, testified Dominguez was “a textbook example of schizophrenia,” CNN affiliate KCRA reported.

A different psychologist hired by the defense later testified that the suspect “was most likely schizophrenic,” according to KCRA.

An order to involuntarily medicate Dominguez was granted after the jail tele-psychiatrist testified that Dominguez has schizophrenia and is gravely disabled, defense attorney Daniel Hutchinson told CNN on Tuesday.

“I am pleased the District Attorney’s Office finally conceded that Mr. Dominguez is not mentally competent, but it is very unfortunate that it took them so long to do so. The evidence of Mr. Dominguez’s serious mental illness was overwhelming and clear from the beginning of this case,” said Hutchinson.

Dominguez is due back in court on August 17 for a review hearing, during which the court is expected to formally order him to be committed to a state hospital. The hospital system will then likely take 60 or more days to place him in a facility, according to Hutchinson.

Attorneys representing both sides of the case expressed concerns over the long waiting list for new placements and anticipate it may take even longer for him to be transferred.

In the meantime, Dominguez will remain in custody at the jail, and the criminal case against him is suspended.

“Within due course, hopefully a short amount of time, he’ll be transported to a state hospital to receive treatment with the goal of restoring his competency. From there, only time will tell. The law and the facts will dictate how the case goes,” Judge McAdam said.

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