The man who went on a knife spree on the Las Vegas Strip, murdering two people and injuring six more, had a party boy history as a dancer before becoming homeless, according to The Post has learned.
Yoni Barrios was ruled “indigent” by a Clark County, Nevada judge earlier this month, but his social media portrayed a far different story, bragging of an affluent lifestyle that included flashing large wads of cash and beautiful jewelry.
Barrios, an illegal Guatemalan immigrant, had lived in Los Angeles, where he regularly uploaded images of his gym-honed physique and shot pictures at glamorous nightclubs such as Drai’s nightclub in Las Vegas.
A former acquaintance of Barrios’ who did not want to be identified said the 32-year-old had previously worked as a stripper in homosexual bars and had never “kept down a legitimate job.”
Instead, Barrios mooched off men and women who had romantic interests in him, according to the source, who added that they thought he was straight but led men on to gain money.
Barrios claimed he came to Las Vegas to work as a chef, holding a knife in front of a group of girls posing for photos dressed as showgirls on the renowned Strip.
When they became uneasy at his presence with the knife he snapped and stabbed showgirl Maris Digiovanni in the heart and bystander Brent Hallet with a kitchen knife near the Wynn hotel.
Six other people were stabbed by Barrios, including showgirls Anna Westby and Victoria Cayetano.
However, eight months before the violent daytime attack, Barrios appeared to be living large, uploading pictures of diamond rings, costly watches, and numerous shirtless shots of him working out and displaying his muscles.
On his profile he wrote: “Life teaches us to make good use of the time … while time teaches us the value of life … so be a good person but don’t waist (sic) time to prove it.”
Chillingly, Barrios’ last Facebook post — made just one day before the horrific broad-daylight knife attack — was one hailing the notorious biker gang Mongrel Mob, alleged to be involved in violent killings in New Zealand.
The boastful posts appear to be a far cry from an interview Barrios gave to Telemundo 52 in Los Angeles just two days before the Las Vegas stabbing spree.
During the conversation, Barrios stated that he was homeless and hoping for a better life. He stated that he had lost all of his stuff and was seeking assistance.
He also claimed to have obtained a prescription from a Hollywood pharmacy that he believed had an effect on his brain.
According to a police report acquired by The Post, when Barrios landed in Las Vegas, he walked into the Wynn asking for work.
He also asked a janitor if he could contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for him so he could go back to Guatemala.
Barrios told cops he spoke to a security guard and told him he wanted to sell his knives so he could get some money to go back to his country.
The guard told him to “jump in front of a train,” according to the police report.
Enraged, he then approched the showgirls, later telling police they laughed and made fun of his clothing.
“Barrios said he became angry and stabbed one of the women [Digiovanni] in the chest after which he began stabbing the other women in the group as they ran away,” the police report said.
“Barrios started running and looking for groups of people so he could ‘let the anger out.’”
Anna Westby, a showgirl, told The Post about the terrifying moment she witnessed Barrios fatally knife her companion Maris in the heart just before she was stabbed in the back.
Barrios stabbed Brent Hallet in the back and murdered him as he ran southbound on the Strip. Barrios would stab four more victims before being apprehended by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
One of his most recent Instagram images shows Barrios dressed sharply in a grey suit posing in front of Drai’s Nightclub in Las Vegas. On the dance floor, he can be seen ordering shots and drinking.
Barrios faces two counts of murder and six counts of attempted murder.
Barrios was appointed a Public Defender since he was deemed to be destitute. He is still being held without bond at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas.
He is expected to return to court on January 12, 2023.
source:nsemwokrom.com
