The previous school student charged with murder in the stabbing deaths of two persons and attempted murder of a 3rd in a Northern California university town has not showered in the nearly a few months he’s been in jail, goes times devoid of ingesting and believes he will return to courses, his attorney claimed Tuesday.
The remarks by Dan Hutchinson, a Yolo County deputy public defender, came throughout a proceeding to decide no matter if Carlos Dominguez is mentally capable to take part in a criminal trial over the stabbings that rocked the University of California, Davis, campus and encompassing neighborhood.
Hutchinson said he will present proof showing that Dominguez begun showing outward indications of schizophrenia toward the finish of his freshman yr. Prosecutors stated Dominguez is “toying with the system” and really should face a legal trial.
Jurors will finally choose irrespective of whether he is in good shape for demo. To be uncovered mentally unfit, the defense need to show that Dominguez are unable to presently fully grasp courtroom proceedings, support his attorney in his protection and realize his have standing in the prison continuing. If jurors uncover Dominguez not knowledgeable, he will be evaluated for cure at a point out mental health and fitness hospital instead of continuing with a criminal demo.
Dominguez experienced been a 3rd-12 months scholar at UC Davis majoring in organic sciences until April 25, when he was expelled. Hutchinson stated in court docket that Dominguez unsuccessful all his winter season phrase courses this 12 months.
He is billed in the fatalities of a 50-year-aged homeless person who was effectively liked in the community and a 20-yr-old UC Davis pupil. A homeless lady who was attacked in her tent survived. All the assaults happened close to campus.
Dominguez was arrested May possibly 4, a week immediately after the initially overall body was identified, in the vicinity of the location of the 2nd attack.
“He sits there each individual working day in his empty cell, unclothed, unmedicated, untreated for his mental sickness,” Hutchinson mentioned of his consumer, who is observed just about every 15 minutes since he is on suicide watch. “He has not showered a one time, and if he ever has brushed his teeth, nobody appears to have found that.”
But Frits van der Hoek, a Yolo County deputy district legal professional, told jurors that his crew will current proof displaying that Dominguez is intentionally performing unfit for demo. He explained the court-appointed qualified who declared him incompetent for trial did not query him rigorously sufficient.
As in previous court docket appearances, Dominguez wore a eco-friendly security vest with prolonged hair hanging in his experience. Beforehand he has spoken out loud to say he was guilty and desired to apologize and that he did not want an lawyer.
Police, prosecutors and the college have reported Dominguez is 21 decades outdated, but on Tuesday his lawyer gave his age as 20. Jonathan Raven, the county’s chief deputy district attorney, reported by e-mail that official data listing distinct dates of birth.
Dominguez’s former girlfriend, Caley Gallardo, who will be a senior at UC Davis in the tumble, testified that they achieved freshman calendar year and bonded around their instructional drives and closeness to family.
She broke up with him in March or April 2022 as he changed from a reserved still healthy and engaged pupil into a person who stopped having and caring about his grooming. She tried to converse to him about attainable mental ailment, but he was not receptive to the concept, she mentioned.
Dominguez’s previous roommates testified that he became much more isolated and talked about hearing voices. They and a prior co-worker at Jack in the Box claimed they witnessed him staring off.
During questioning by van der Hoek, one particular roommate said Dominguez smoked cannabis and talked about psychedelic mushrooms.
The trial could just take up to eight days, even though jurors are not meeting next 7 days.
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