"Brutal and violent": Investigators working around the clock to solve Davis stabbings
DAVIS — Investigators in Davis are working around the clock to possibly link the three stabbings in five days in the city to a single suspect and catch the killer.
There is one theme to all the attacks: they were brutal and brazen. There are now extra patrols and extra detectives combing the city of Davis in response to the stabbing attacks.
Investigators could be seen processing the latest crime scene on L Street and 2nd Street. The victim in this case is the lone survivor of the three stabbings and remains in critical condition. Two previous stabbing victims died from their injuries—David Breaux on Thursday and UC Davis student Karim Abou-Najm.
Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel described the unique nature of these attacks.
"The attacks with knives were particularly brutal and violent," Chief Pytel said. "These were not a robbery stab-and-go. There were many and very significant knife wounds."
Outside law enforcement officers and agents have converged at the Davis Police Department in an effort to help solve these crimes. The FBI is also helping with the investigation.
Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Kevin Baker said knife attacks can give investigators more clues to work with in some cases because of the violent nature of stabbings. Suspects often leave unintended clues behind.
"It's a crime of someone is willing to get up close and personal," Baker said. "Things can fall out of your pockets, things can fall off you, fibers can come off your body, hairs can come off your body."
Following the third stabbing, police issued a shelter-in-place alert around the crime scene.
"My girl and I were up when that happened, so she got the email right away. We checked that and it was shelter in place and we saw that was right around the corner," UC Davis student Sam Lee said.
The search for the suspect in this third stabbing has been unsuccessful. Now, could the evidence left behind lead to an arrest?
Besides evidence at these crime scenes, police say they are working through hundreds of tips that have received. The FBI is helping sort through those as well as come up with a possible profile of a suspect if these cases are linked.