Las Vegas Strip stabbing suspect told police he thought showgirl impersonators were ‘laughing at him’

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - The man accused of stabbing eight people on the Las Vegas Strip on Thursday, killing two of them, had approached a group of showgirl impersonators, told them he was a chef and asked if they would take a photo with him and his knife, according to an arrest report from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

According to the report, Yoni Barrios had arrived in Las Vegas approximately two days prior from California with the intention of moving in with a friend. However, according to the report, when he arrived in Las Vegas, the friend reportedly told him he could not stay at the house.

According to the report, Barrios packed his belongings and took a bus to the Las Vegas Strip, arriving in the area at approximately 8 a.m. Thursday. According to the report, Barrios told authorities that while on the bus ride to the Strip, other passengers were making fun of him and he “wasn’t treated like a human being.”

The report says that Barrios went to the mall and asked “chauffeurs” for a ride to California before he then walked to the Wynn and spoke with a janitor about job opportunities. Barrios reportedly asked the janitor to contact ICE for him so he could return home to Guatemala, the report says.

According to the report, Barrios then contacted a security guard at the Wynn and told him he was trying to sell his knives so he could get money to go back home. The security guard, according to the arrest report, “told Barrios to jump in front of a train.”

After exiting the Wynn, Barrios reportedly told the group of four showgirl impersonators that he was a chef. The report says that one of the girls felt uncomfortable and began to back away. At that point, the report says Barrios then charged at the girl as she started to run away.

The report says she “felt pressure to her back and fell to the ground.” The girl says she then saw Barrios charging towards Maris Digiovanni, one of two victims who died in the incident.

The girl said she was able to get up and ran into the Wynn, where she then reportedly realized she had been stabbed in the back, the report says. She remained at the Wynn until she was transported to UMC, police said.

Barrios told police that he “thought the women were laughing at him and making fun of his clothing.” He told authorities that he “became angry and stabbed one of the women in the chest after which he began stabbing the other women in the group as they ran away.”

According to the report, Barrios started running and looking for groups of people so he could “let the anger out.” He told officers that he did not say anything to the victims when he stabbed them.

The report says that after the incident with the showgirl impersonators, Barrios ran southbound on the sidewalk on the west side of the Wynn where he stabbed victim Brent Hallet in the back, killing him.

The report says Barrios then continued running south, where police say a “couple of feet later” he stabbed two more people, who were walking with their mother.

Another victim, who was transported to Sunrise Hospital, told police that he was sitting on a concrete wall talking on his cell phone when he saw Barrios running toward him with an object in his hand.

The victim told police that he thought Barrios had a beer can and did not pay attention to him until Barrios got closer. The man told police that he initially thought Barrios had punched him in the chest as he ran by, but said he then saw blood.

The report says that the man was transported to the hospital with two stab wounds, one to the breast and one to the upper abdomen.

Another victim told police that he was walking the Strip with his wife when the incident occurred. According to the report, the man saw Barrios running toward him with a knife that was covered in blood.

According to the report, as Barrios ran past him, he reportedly said, “sorry man” and stabbed him. Barrios then continued running south on Las Vegas Boulevard without stopping.

The man’s wife applied pressure to his wound before police and medical arrived.

According to the report, Barrios told officers that he estimated that he stabbed approximately six people before he ran across Sands Avenue and reportedly threw the knife in some bushes.

Las Vegas police have since confirmed that eight people in total were stabbed, two of whom died.

The report says, “Barrios stated he was hoping officers would shoot him.”

According to the report, police recovered a bloody, chef knife with a 12″ overall length. Police note in the report that Barrios was shown a photo of the knife and he confirmed that it was the one he used.

According to the report, victim Brent Hallett, 47, was pronounced deceased on scene and victim Maris Digiovanni, 30, was pronounced deceased shortly after arrival to UMC Trauma. Both Hallett and Digovanni were Las Vegas residents.

Barrios was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on two counts of murder with a weapon, and six counts of attempted murder with a weapon.

Barrios made his first court appearance on Friday and was ordered to remain in custody. He will again appear in court on Oct. 11.

Speaking after court, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said he does not think Barrios is a citizen of the United States.

Copyright 2022 KVVU. All rights reserved.