Undocumented immigrant who killed 2 on Strip sentenced to life in prison
Stabbing victims and surviving relatives spoke of empathy and forgiveness during the sentencing of an undocumented immigrant who admitted to killing two and injuring six more in a fit of paranoia on the Strip in 2022.
Earlier this year, Yoni Barrios, 35, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to a series of charges, including terrorism, two counts of murder, 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.
Police have said that after asking sidewalk showgirls for a photo, Barrios pulled a knife and fatally stabbed Maris DiGiovanni, 30, and Brent Allan Hallett, 46, outside Wynn Las Vegas on Oct. 6, 2022. He also stabbed six others, some of whom were also working as showgirl buskers that morning.
In exchange for the plea, Barrios was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole. During his hearing, public defender Scott Coffee said that, as a part of the deal, Barrios should continue receiving mental health treatment — specifically medication — while incarcerated.
“What I can say, having dealt with Mr. Barrios, I don’t think, but for his mental illness, this would have ever happened. It took years of adjusting (medication) to get him to the point where he could have a rational conversation,” Coffee said. “He was always respectful. It is impossible for me to reconcile the person that was on the Strip that day with the person that I have known for the past two years.”
After the stabbings, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson said Barrios was a Guatemalan citizen who entered the United States without inspection by immigration officials on an unknown date, though his immigration status was not referenced in Tuesday’s hearing.
Coffee said Barrios previously had sought help in California but had “slipped through the net.” The Las Vegas Review-Journal previously reported that two days before the stabbing, a Los Angeles news outlet captured Barrios on video telling a cameraman that he had lost everything.
Addressing District Judge Tierra Jones, Barrios stated that for the rest of his life, he would regret what he had done.
“From the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry, and I wish you could forgive me,” Barrios said, speaking to survivors and relatives of DiGiovanni and Hallett who packed the gallery.
Vern DiGiovanni, Maris DiGiovanni’s father, was among the mourners. He said it had been difficult “only having pictures” of his daughter, whom he described as having compassionate eyes and a contagious energy. Still, he said, he believes in the power of forgiveness.
“I just wish that day, this young man would have taken one moment, one moment to meet her, to look in her eyes, to hear her voice. She would have done anything to help him; instead, she gave her life,” the father said. “I appreciate the responsibility he has chosen here in court. I hope he spends his life finding the Lord and asking for forgiveness.”
Anna Westby, who survived the attack after being stabbed in the back, also shared her mental and physical healing journey with the court.
“I forgive, because I deserve to move on — because I deserve to continue living,” Westby said. “I’m going to continue to shine the light to the best of my ability in the way that Maris has.”
Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.