A woman was critically wounded after being stabbed by an unknown assailant near the University of California, Davis Monday night, making the third such attack around the Sacramento-area campus in four days.
Police briefly urged local residents to shelter in place around 1 a.m. Tuesday amid an unsuccessful search for a male suspect, who matches the description of an individual eyed in two earlier stabbing deaths.
Police have said that there are no known connections between the victims. The FBI and the California Department of Justice are aiding the investigation.
The latest victim was inside of a tent in a transient camp around 11:46 p.m. Monday when she said she was stabbed multiple times by someone through the tent. She was taken to a hospital in critical condition, Davis police said.
Earlier, police said UC Davis senior Karim Abou Najm was fatally stabbed Saturday night in Davis’ Sycamore Park around 9 p.m.
A nearby resident found Najm stabbed multiple times after hearing what sounded like a disturbance, prompting them to investigate and call 911. He was declared dead at the scene, police said.
The third victim, David Henry Breaux, 50, was stabbed sometime Thursday morning in Davis’ Central Park. Police described his attack as “significantly violent,” with him suffering multiple stab wounds before succumbing to his injuries.
Breaux was a Stanford University graduate who was known as the “Compassion Guy.” He was often seen waving and greeting people around town and asking them to share their view on compassion, the city said in a statement.
Breaux published a book of anonymously collected writings by community members on the subject of compassion, something he had been quoted as saying that he planned to spend the rest of his life collecting. He was also touted as instrumental in the creation and organization of a so-called “Compassion Bench” in the city’s downtown in 2013, the city said.
“Many of us knew David. We shared his vision for a kinder world. We connected on what it means to be human and humane,” said Davis Mayor Will Arnold in a statement. “David was gentle and kind, soft-spoken and thoughtful, brilliant and selfless. He will be missed.”
The suspect has been described as between 5 feet, 6 inches to 5 feet, 9 inches tall, with a thin build, light skin complex and curly hair. He was last seen wearing a black or blue sweatshirt, black Adidas pants with white stripes, black shoes, and was carrying a black backpack.