Testimony begins in trial of two men in 2024 charged in woman's stabbing death

Joshua Dominguez and his girlfriend had just returned home from work in 2015 when they saw someone rummaging through their car.

A violent encounter followed that ended in the stabbing and beating death of 34-year-old Sarah Dimas, who was burglarizing the car, attorneys said on the first day of trial for two Albuquerque men charged in her death.

Dominguez, 24, and David Haro, 49, each are charged with second-degree murder and other charges in Dimas’ death on March 15, 2024. The 2nd Judicial District Court trial is expected to continue through Friday before Judge David Murphy.

Destiny Marquez, 22, Dominguez’s girlfriend and Haro’s daughter, pleaded guilty in November to charges of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence in Dimas’ death.

Marquez, who is expected to testify this week, faces 16 years in prison. Her sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.

Albuquerque police responded to a 911 call shortly before 3 a.m. on March 15, 2024, and found Dimas’ body on a deserted stretch of Broadway NE, just south of Interstate 40.

Dimas was living on the streets at the time and police were unable to identify her for weeks after her death, prosecutor Christine Jablonsky said in opening statements.

Marquez and Dominguez returned home to Haro’s apartment in the 300 block of Indian School NE after delivering food for Uber Eats when Marquez saw Dimas removing items from Dominguez’s Honda CR-V, Jablonsky told jurors.

Marquez followed Dimas in the Honda, yelling at Dimas to return her possessions, but Dimas continued walking, she said.

Moments later, Dominguez “comes up behind Sarah (Dimas), grabs the back of her head and throws her to the ground,” Jablonsky said.

A violent struggle followed in which Dimas struck Dominguez several times with a knife, Jablonsky said. Haro then ran up to the scene and the two men began fighting with Dimas, she said.

After Dimas dropped the knife, Marquez picked it up and began stabbing Dimas, Jablonsky said.

Jurors viewed security video that showed a chaotic scene with three figures beating, kicking and stomping on Dimas.

Dominquez’s attorney, Joseph Sullivan, said in opening statements that before the fatal encounter, Dominguez had approached Dimas and demanded the return of the stolen items.

Dimas turned and “lunged” at Dominguez with a knife, Sullivan said.

Sullivan showed jurors security video that appeared to show Dominguez backing away from Dimas, then turn and walk away.

“What we see is that Josh (Dominguez) disengages and deescalates the situation,” Sullivan said. Then Dominguez saw Martinez drive by in the Honda CR-V and realized that Martinez doesn’t realize that Dimas has a knife, he said.

“Destiny (Martinez) is trying to retrieve their property but she doesn’t realize what she’s walking into,” Sullivan said. Dominguez then turned and ran after the car to protect Martinez, he said.

Dimas slashed Dominguez in the throat and the chest with a knife in the ensuing struggle, Sullivan said.