Topline
The University of California, Davis has urged students to shelter in place after a woman was stabbed near campus Monday night—the third stabbing incident by the university in less than a week—as police search for a suspect whose description is “similar” in all three incidents.
UC Davis urged its students to remain indoors after three local stabbings.
Key Facts
The Davis Police Department said Tuesday an unidentified homeless woman was stabbed “more than one time” through her tent Monday night, leaving her in critical condition.
Lt. Dan Beckwith described the suspect—who remains at large—as a “light-complected” male with curly hair between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-9, noting “it’s too early to tell” whether the suspect is connected to two recent fatal stabbings.
Davis police discovered the body of 50-year-old David Henry Breaux last Thursday after Breaux suffered multiple stab wounds at a park near UC Davis’ campus, though Beckwith did not release information about a suspect.
The body of 20-year-old UC Davis student Karim Abou Najm was found with multiple stab wounds at another park Saturday night, before police said they were trying to determine whether the suspect—described as a “light-skinned male” with curly hair between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-8—was connected to Breaux’s death, according to KCRA.
A suspect in Najm’s death was arrested by police on unrelated charges Sunday, police chief Darren Pytel said, though Pytel—who said the two incidents shared similarities—noted there was no evidence connecting him to the incident.
UC Davis announced Monday it had hired additional security, adding its campus police department would “maximize” student escorts from campus to off-campus locations.
Crucial Quotes
The Davis City Council said in a statement following Najm’s death that “this incident has been overwhelming on many levels,” adding “this is the second homicide to occur in our community in the last week and many of us are concerned, scared and angry.”
What We Don’t Know
Whether one suspect is responsible for all three stabbings. Beckwith noted the Davis Police Department’s investigation was “extremely preliminary” and “it’s still very, very early on” to determine whether there is any connection.
Further Reading
Third Stabbing In Davis — Police Going Yard To Yard, Urge Residents To Shelter In Place (Sacramento Bee)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/05/02/uc-davis-students-urged-to-shelter-in-place-after-third-local-stabbing-heres-what-we-know/