Davis stabbings: What we know so far about attacks that have killed 2 men, injured woman

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Three stabbings, two men dead, one woman in critical condition — and a city fearful of another attack.

The attacks in Davis have rattled the Yolo County city and triggered an all-out response from Davis police and allied agencies from across the capital region.

But, for people living in the college town of nearly 70,000 residents, the series of crimes, which may be connected, have raised fears for safety in what’s typically one of the Sacramento Valley’s safest places, reporting just one homicide in all of 2022.

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Here’s what we know so far about the three stabbings that occurred across the city in five days, as of Tuesday morning:

What happened?

First stabbing: Thursday, April 27

At about 11:20 a.m., officers were called to Central Park at 401 C St., just east of the UC Davis campus, for a report of an unresponsive male.

Davis resident David Henry Breaux, 50, was discovered by authorities and pronounced dead at the scene after a “significantly violent attack” left him with multiple stab wounds.

The homicide stunned residents and city leaders, who said Breaux was affectionately known around town as the “Compassion Guy” because of his regular interactions with everyone who walked by. They said he would often wave and greet people or ask them to share their views on compassion.

“The death of David Breaux is utterly and completely devastating,” Davis Mayor Will Arnold said in a city statement posted online. “Many of us knew David. We talked with him. We shared in his vision for a kinder world.”

Second stabbing: Saturday, April 29

Davis police said a resident living near Sycamore Park heard a disturbance outside just after 9 p.m.

After the resident called 911, police found a 20-year-old UC Davis student dead from multiple stab wounds near Sycamore Lane and Colby Drive.

The victim was identified as Karim Abou Najm. His father, Majdi Abou Najm, said his son was on his way home Saturday night, using a path through the park he’d often used. His son had been on campus Saturday for a student research project presentation and had been with friends before he decided to head home.

“He was just six weeks away from graduation,” the father said Monday. “It’s devastating. Instead of attending his graduation, we’re making arrangements for his departure.”

Karim Abou Najm graduated from Davis High School in 2020 and had planned to graduate this June from UC Davis with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, according to university officials, his father and his LinkedIn profile.

Majdi Abou Najm said his son already had two jobs lined up to start his career after college, including a startup company where he would work on developing technology for speech recognition for smart glass.

The technology would be beneficial for people with hearing impairments.

Third stabbing: Monday, May 1

Police responded to a 911 call about a stabbing just before midnight in an encampment near Second and L streets in downtown Davis.

A homeless woman was stabbed “more than one time” through her tent from the outside. Her identity has not been released, but witnesses described her as a woman in her 60s.

The alleged assailant then fled the scene, last seen running westbound on Third Street from L Street.

The victim was taken to UC Davis Medical Center and was listed in critical condition, though she is expected to survive.

After a manhunt that went yard to yard through downtown Davis with K-9 teams, drones and other special personnel from multiple law enforcement agencies, the Davis Police Department was “not able to locate the suspect.”

Where did the attacks occur?

The first stabbing occurred Thursday, April 27, at Central Park in downtown Davis; the second on Saturday, April 29 at Sycamore Park near Sycamore Lane and Colby Drive about 1½ miles from the first attack; the third happened on downtown’s east side at a homeless encampment near Second and L streets.

What we know about the suspect or suspects

April 27 stabbing

As of last week, investigators were working on several tips sent in by residents but had no solid leads to the stabbing that left Breaux dead.

Police said all available resources will be used to “solve this horrific crime.”

Investigators asked anyone who was in the area of Central Park in the early-morning hours on Thursday or has security video cameras directed at the park or in the downtown area to call the Davis Police Department at 530-747-5400 or send an email to policeweb@cityofdavis.org.

Investigators also asked anyone with information who wants to remain anonymous can call the department’s tip line at 530-747-5460.

April 29 stabbing

After an “exhaustive” search using canines and drones, a suspect in the killing of Abou Najm was not found.

Police said they’re looking for a “light-skinned male, possibly Hispanic” with “long curly loose hair” between the ages of 19 and 23.

The potential suspect, 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-8, was last seen wearing a white hat and a light-colored T-shirt beneath a button-up shirt with a bike with straight handlebars.

Officers later booked a person of interest near the crime scene who matched the description at the Yolo County Jail for an outstanding warrant issued out of Placer County.

Monday’s stabbing

The suspect who left a homeless woman in critical condition Tuesday morning was last seen running westbound on Third Street from L Street.

The suspect is described as a “light-complected male,” between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-9.

Police said the man had a thin build, wearing a black or blue sweatshirt, black Adidas pants with white stripes and black shoes. He was carrying a brown backpack.

Are the Davis stabbings connected?

The April 29 and April 27 stabbings share similarities, including the “brutal nature” and the weapon used, but have not been definitively linked to one suspect, police said.

A knife was also used in Monday’s attack when the assailant tore open a tent and stabbed the woman multiple times.

While the suspect descriptions are similar, police have yet to definitively link the crimes to one person.

What agencies are investigating?

The Davis Police Department has been assisted by a constellation of law enforcement agencies from across the capital region, including the police departments from UC Davis, West Sacramento, Sacramento, Elk Grove and the Yolo and Sacramento sheriff’s offices.

The California Highway Patrol vehicles have also been seen on Davis streets in the hours after Monday’s attack.

Mutual assistance resources from agencies have included search-and-rescue teams combing the sites where the attacks occurred, as well as aerial drone resources and K-9 units.

In addition, officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the state Department of Justice have lent support to the investigation. That includes analysts from the FBI’s crime laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.

Are classes on UC Davis’ campus canceled or online?

On Tuesday morning, UC Davis Police Chief Joseph Farrow told KCRA that school leaders were discussing the possibility of moving evening classes online to limit the number of students on campus after dark.

University officials said in an update before noon that there were no “changes to instruction and administrative operations during the day.”

“Campus buildings are open, administrative support continues and all instruction continues as normal,” UC Davis officials said.

The university’s academic senate is weighing potential changes to instruction during evening hours, including moving classes online, but no decisions have been made.

Students were told to expect further information at 2 p.m.: “That guidance will include decisions on evening instruction as well as evening operational mitigations.”

Residents told to protect themselves

Extra officers have been deployed to patrol around schools and parks to ensure the public safety presence throughout Davis.

Officials at UC Davis said Sunday they were working “collaboratively” with the city’s police department following the stabbings, providing “extra patrols in the city and on campus.”

UCD police have added personnel and vans to maximize the school’s Safe Ride program and escort availability this week.

School officials moved up by two hours the start time for rides from campus to off-campus locations in the city of Davis — rides will run from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. every day.

The Bee’s Sam Stanton, Michael McGough and Rosalio Ahumada contributed to this story.