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Fox News
Fox News
25 Apr 2025


An illegal immigrant from Guatemala will serve two consecutive life sentences for stabbing to death a Las Vegas showgirl and a Canadian tourist in 2022.

Yoni Barrios murdered Brent Allan Hallett, 47, and Maris Mareen DiGiovanni, 30, during a stabbing spree on the Las Vegas strip in October of that year. He also injured six in the attack. 

He was initially deemed incompetant to stand trial and spent nearly two years in a hospital before pleading guilty to the crime in January, according to local reports. He was sentenced Tuesday.

Las Vegas stabbing suspect in court

Las Vegas Strip stabbing spree suspect Yoni Barrios makes his initial court appearance at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas on Friday. Sources told Fox News that he was in the United States illegally and has a criminal record in California.  (AP)

LAS VEGAS STABBING SUSPECT YONI BARRIOS APPEARS IN COURT

Barrios reportedly flew into a rage when a group of showgirls refused to take a photo with him, and pulled out a long-bladed kitchen knife which he used in the attack. He was captured outside the Wynn Hotel minutes later. 

According to criminal records, Barrios had prior run-ins with the law in California, but was not removed from the country. 

maris digiovanni posoing for a photo in the sand

Maris Mareen DiGiovanni, a victim of the Las Vegas Strip stabbing on Oct. 7, 2022 (Facebook)

In 2016, he was prosecuted in Riverside, California for dangerous driving and driving without a license, according to reports from immediately after the stabbings. He paid a fine and was released back out onto the streets. 

ICE told Fox News Digital that it was never alerted about Barrios' immigration status in 2016. 

Las Vegas stabbing victim being wheeled away on stretcher and mugshot image of suspect

Images shows an apparent victim of the Las Vegas stabbing on Oct. 6, 2022. (Pierre Fandrich/LOCAL NEWS X /TMX| LVMPD)

In 2019, Barrios was charged with domestic violence, but never prosecuted, Fox News reported

California is a "sanctuary state" for illegal immigrants, and does not typically cooperate with federal immigration authorities. 

Peter D'Abrosca joined Fox News Digital in 2025 after four years as a politics reporter at The Tennessee Star. 

He grew up in Rhode Island and is a graduate of Elon University. 

Follow Peter on X at @pmd_reports. Send story tips to peter.dabrosca@fox.com.