Yoni Christian Barrios: Man, 32, found unfit for trial after being arrested in Las Vegas Strip stabbings
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: A man who was arrested in connection with a stabbing spree that left two people dead and six others hurt on a Las Vegas Strip sidewalk in October has been deemed incompetent for trial. Yoni Christian Barrios, 32, was ordered by a state court judge to stay indefinitely in a state psychiatric facility until medical professionals conclude that he understands the criminal accusations he is facing, according to defense counsel Scott Coffee.
The accused, Yoni Barrios, 32, was charged with two counts of open murder with a deadly weapon against Maris Mareen Digiovanni, 30, and Brent Allan Hallett, 47, as well as six counts of attempted murder. Las Vegas Police Capt Dori Koren stated that three of the surviving victims were in critical condition. According to officials, the victims were a mix of visitors and locals.
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Authorities said that before brandishing a sizable chef's knife outside the Wynn Las Vegas casino, Barrios invited DiGiovanni and other sidewalk showgirls to take a picture with him. According to authorities, Barrios told police that he believed the women who were stabbed were making fun of his appearance and laughing at him. Barrios will be charged with two counts of murder and six counts of attempted murder in the incident if he is proven competent, as per reported by NBCNews.
According to police reports, Barrios acted alone. Officials believe the shooting was unprovoked, but Koren said it was too early in the inquiry to pinpoint a motive. "The initial altercation or the initial stabbing occurs on the sidewalk area, appears unprovoked — there is no altercation beforehand," Deputy Police Chief James LaRochelle told reporters.
After the initial stabbing, the perpetrator moved south and continued to stab further victims, which was seen by "scores of witnesses," according to LaRochelle. Police were summoned when a security guard at the Sands Hotel and Casino received contact from a worried bystander. "We want to extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the victims themselves. ... We’re thinking of them and have them their thoughts," LaRochelle said, as per reports from NBC News.
Although it is unclear if Barrios is a documented immigrant, his lawyer stated that his client was born in Guatemala and has been in the country for at least a number of years. According to a police arrest record, after traveling from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, Barrios begged a Wynn hotel housekeeper to get in touch with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement so they could send him back to Guatemala.