FBI called in after third stabbing in less than a week in small California ... trends now
Residents of a small California university town are on edge after three stabbings in less than a week killed a college student, a beloved homeless man known as 'Compassion Guy' and left a local woman in critical condition.
The FBI has been called in to help Davis police who say they are still investigating whether the three 'brazen' stabbings are related, but noted that the description of the suspect in both Monday and Saturday night's attacks, are 'substantially similar.'
In the the most recent attack, a 64-year-old woman was stabbed through a tent at a homeless encampment in the area of 2nd Street and L Street around 11:46 p.m. on Monday. She is in critical condition, police said.
The assailant, who has not yet been caught, is described as a man with a light complexion and curly hair, who is 5 feet and 6 inches to 5 feet and 9 inches tall, with a thin build. He was believed to be wearing a black or blue sweatshirt, black Adidas pants with stripes and carrying a brown backpack.
Police said the description closely resembles the suspect who fatally stabbed UC Davis student Karim Abou Najm in Sycamore Park on Saturday night. A few nights earlier, 50-year-old David Breaux, who was a fixture in the community, was found stabbed to death on a bench in another park near campus.
A 64-year-old woman is in critical condition after being stabbed through the tent she was sleeping in Davis, California, Monday. It's the third stabbing in less than a week. Two other stabbings claimed the lives of Karim Abou Najm and David Breaux
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Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel said in a press conference on Tuesday that even though they have combed through hundreds of tips, they have 'not been able yet to positively link the three crimes' that are 'particularly violent and brazen' and that they are 'still waiting for evidence to come back.'
Pytel spoke about the similarities between the attacks. He said the two 'particularly brutal' homicides occurred in city parks, while the suspect or suspects in the second homicide and Monday night's attack both interacted with witnesses. That suggests bold behavior that causes police 'significant concern,' Pytel said.
A 'detailed search' overnight of the downtown area did not result in finding a suspect, the department said in a statement.
The shelter-in-place order was being lifted, but the suspect or suspects remain on the loose and police urged residents to 'continue to be aware of your surroundings.'
The FBI has been called in to help with the investigation after Monday night's stabbing brought the total to three in less than a week.
A map shows where each stabbing took place. Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel said Tuesday they have 'not been able yet to positively link the three crimes' that are 'particularly violent and brazen' but said the suspect in Monday and Saturday night's attacks, are 'substantially similar'
On Saturday, another stabbing took the life of UC Davis senior Karim Abou Najm. The 20-year-old computer science major was on his way home when he was killed at Davis' Sycamore Park
Pytel said police were called to the scene late Monday night where a 64-year-old woman, whose name has not been released, 'was able to provide a description of the assailant and she was able to tell us what happened.'
Isaac Chessman and Christine Berrios, a couple in a neighboring tent told KCRA they heard the woman screaming for help. Chessman added
