A 26-year-old Pacifica man is expected to be arraigned Monday for charges stemming from the fatal stabbings of two men left on a rural stretch of Highway 35 in San Mateo County this week.
San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told KCBS Radio that Malik Dosouqi may face the death penalty for the slayings, which were discovered approximately 24 hours apart.
The suspect, Dosouqi, insisted in a jailhouse interview with TV-station KGO that he's innocent and doesn't remember what happened before waking in a hospital with his arm bandaged.
The first killing was discovered on Monday night when the body of a 32-year-old cab driver was found. Sheriff's deputies still combing the area for evidence on Wednesday heard screams for help and found a second man suffering from stab wounds.
At that time, authorities say that Dosouqi drove towards the deputies, forcing one officer to open fire. His car went off the road and officers apprehended him.
At this point, Wagstaffe said it's not clear if there's a connection between Dosouqi and his victims or a connection between the victims themselves. It appears the attacks were random, Wagstaffe, but the investigation is in an early phase.
"It occurred almost in the same place, 24 hour interval between them," said Wagstaffe. "Very creepy because that shows a lot of thought process, doesn't it?"
Dosouqui is facing two counts of murder with use of a knife and special circumstance allegation of multiple murders, which makes it a possible death penalty case.
"Lying in wait basically means ambush and did that happen here? It's possible. We may be adding that as time goes on and the investigation goes on but the one we know: we have right now is multiple murder and that's why we just allege that one at this point."