Suspect in 2022 Strip stabbings indicted on terrorism, murder charges

A Las Vegas grand jury has indicted a man on terrorism and murder charges in connection with a barrage of stabbings on the Strip in 2022 that left two people dead and six other people injured.

Prosecutors announced the indictment against 34-year-old Yoni Barrios during a court hearing on Friday. Barrios was recently deemed competent to stand trial, allowing for court proceedings to move forward after they were stalled for two years while Barrios underwent competency treatment.

Barrios was indicted on charges of terrorism, two counts of murder with a deadly weapon, six counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to commit an act of terrorism, and six counts of battery with a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm with the intent to commit an act of terrorism, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney John Giordani.

Barrios was arrested on Oct. 6, 2022, after police say he attacked multiple people on the Strip, including several women posing as showgirls. According to an arrest report, Barrios told police that when he began attacking people, he wanted to “let the anger” out because he felt that people were laughing at him for wanting to take pictures with the showgirls.

Showgirls who witnessed the attacks have previously disputed that anyone was laughing at Barrios, and said he was not provoked.

Maris DiGiovanni, 30, of Las Vegas, who worked as a showgirl impersonator, and Brent Hallett, 47, of Alberta, Canada, both died from stab wounds.

Other showgirl impersonators were also stabbed. Victoria Cayetano, then 19, was stabbed in the shoulder and survived. Anna Westby was wounded after she was stabbed in the back.

Witnesses told police that Barrios was holding a large knife when he approached the showgirls and asked for pictures, and that he said he was a chef, according to an arrest report.

Cayetano, who was working with DiGiovanni when she was fatally stabbed, told reporters in 2022 that a man had approached them to ask for a photo, and then pulled out a large black knife wrapped in a piece of cloth.

The man then plunged the knife into DiGiovanni’s chest, and the women started to run, Cayetano has said. The man chased them, stabbing Cayetano and Westby.

Barrios continued stabbing several more people as he ran down Las Vegas Boulevard. He was then detained by security guards behind the Palazzo, according to the arrest report.

He remains in the Clark County Detention Center without bail.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knebwerg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240.