Published on: December 25, 2024, 08:58h.
Last updated on: December 25, 2024, 08:58h.
The man accused of multiple attacks that resulted in two deaths and six injuries on the Las Vegas Strip is now deemed competent to stand trial after two years in a hospital.
Yoni Barrios, aged 34, is set to make a court appearance in Las Vegas on Monday after being indicted last week on 15 charges related to the October 6, 2022 attacks.
A Clark County grand jury included a terrorism charge against Barrios, along with two murder charges, as well as battery and attempted murder charges, according to Las Vegas TV station KSNV.
Barrios Underwent Treatment
Last week, Clark County District Court Judge Christy Craig determined that Barrios is now capable of standing trial after undergoing treatment at a Nevada psychiatric facility.
Following the judge’s decision, Craig concluded that Barrios comprehends the charges against him and can aid his defense attorneys.
The incident started when Barrios approached street performers who appeared to be showgirls. He asked them to pose for a photo with him while holding a foot-long kitchen knife near the Wynn Las Vegas. When they declined, he perceived it as mockery and became enraged. Allegedly, he stabbed two of the performers and then six others on Las Vegas Boulevard.
Brent Allan Hallett, 47, from Canada, and Maris Mareen DiGiovanni, 30, from Las Vegas, succumbed to their injuries.
During a court hearing on Friday, Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney John Giordani stated that Barrios selected his victims “randomly,” according to Las Vegas TV station KLAS.
The surviving victims mentioned later that the women were not laughing at him, but were frightened by the situation, as reported by news outlets.
Barrios was apprehended by officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) after the attacks. He informed the police that he was living in California and was attempting to sell knives to earn money to return home, as per KLAS.
Prior to the stabbings, Barrios tried to secure a janitorial position at the Wynn Las Vegas, KLAS reported.
After the stabbing spree, he discarded the blood-stained knife into nearby bushes, as informed by the police.
The New York Post disclosed that Barrios had previously worked as a stripper and was identified as an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, the Post added.
Crime Spree Attracts Attention
The tragic incident garnered national coverage.
During a crowded campaign gathering in Minden, Nev., on October 8, 2023, Donald Trump labeled Barrios as a “sadistic killer” who carried out a “gruesome” stabbing spree.
“The assailant was an illegal migrant with a lengthy criminal record in California,” Trump stated. “However, the vicious murderer went unnoticed by law enforcement due to California’s cruel sanctuary city policies.”