Las Vegas Strip Alleged Stabber Found Competent to Stand Trial on Murder, Terrorism Charges

Las Vegas Strip Alleged Stabber Found Competent to Stand Trial on Murder, Terrorism Charges.

Costfoto / NurPhoto / Getty Images

Key Takeaways

The man accused of that left two people dead and six injured on the Las Vegas Strip is able to stand trial following a two-year stay in a hospital.

Yoni BarriosYoni Barrios, pictured above in a Las Vegas courtroom. He s now competent to stand trial for a stabbing spree. (Image: KSNV)

, 34, is scheduled to appear in Las Vegas court on Monday after he was indicted last week on 15 counts for the October 6, 2022 attacks.

A Clark County grand jury added a terrorism charge against Barrios, who’s also facing two counts of murder, as well as battery and attempted murder charges, according to Las Vegas TV station KSNV.

Barrios Received Treatment

Last week, Clark County District Court Judge Christy Craig ruled that Barrios is now to stand trial after receiving treatment at a Nevada psychiatric hospital.

Based on the judge’s ruling, Craig concluded that Barrios now understands the charges against him and can assist lawyers in his defense.

The incident began when Barrios went up to street performers appearing to be . He asked them to pose with him for a photo while he was holding a foot-long kitchen knife near the Wynn Las Vegas. They refused to take a picture.

But he believed them to be making fun of him, and he became angry. He allegedly stabbed two of the performers. He then allegedly stabbed six other people on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Brent Allan Hallett, 47, of Canada, and Maris Mareen DiGiovanni, 30, of Las Vegas, both died from their wounds.

During a court appearance on Friday, Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney John Giordani said Barrios chose whom to stab “indiscriminately,” according to Las Vegas TV station KLAS.

The surviving victims of the attack later said the women weren’t laughing at him, but were frightened of the situation, according to news reports.

Barrios was apprehended by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers after the attacks. He told the police he was residing in California, and was trying to sell knives to earn enough money so he could travel back home, according to KLAS.

Shortly before the , Barrios attempted to get a janitor’s job at the Wynn Las Vegas, KLAS reported.

After the stabbing spree, he tossed the blood-covered knife into some bushes, police said.

It was reported by the New York Post that Barrios had worked previously as a stripper. He also was identified as an illegal immigrant into the U.S. from Guatemala, the Post reported.

Crime Spree Got Attention

The deadly incident received national attention.

On October 8, 2023, during a well-attended campaign rally in Minden, Nev., Donald Trump called Barrios a “sadistic murderer” who went on a “heinous” stabbing spree.

“The perpetrator was an illegal alien with a criminal record a mile long in California,” Trump added. “But the bloodthirsty killer was unknown to law enforcement because of California’s barbaric sanctuary city policies.”

Article Sources
Fanatics Closes Portion of PointsBet Deal, Adds Seven States to Roster editorial policy.
  1. Playboy Dan Bilzerian Lists Instagram-Worthy Las Vegas Mansion for $25M

Compare Accounts
×
Menominee Casino Resort in Wisconsin Shuttered by ‘Beyond Significant’ Cyberattack
Provider
Name
Description
NCAA President Charlie Baker Says Sports Betting a ‘Major Opportunity’  Menominee Casino Resort in Wisconsin Shuttered by ‘Beyond Significant’ Cyberattack  Paris Las Vegas Security Nabs Alleged Burglar After Seven Room Break-ins  Wynn Las Vegas Strikes $130M DOJ Settlement, Largest Fine Ever for a US Casino  DraftKings, Golden Nugget Online, Skillz Headline Gaming Additions to Russell 3000  Off-Strip Casino’s Case Against Vegas F1 Race Loses Traction  Canadian Election Odds: Trudeau Ponders Stepping Down After Finance Minister Quits  Campaign for Fairer Gambling Says Sportsbook Firms Using ‘Dubious Claims’ in Illinois  Playboy Dan Bilzerian Lists Instagram-Worthy Las Vegas Mansion for $25M  Four Suspects Arrested After Murder of Guard at California Illegal Casino