A defense attorney raised mental health questions Tuesday about a man accused of killing two people and injuring six in a stabbing attack last week on… Las vigas Pavement stripping.
The suspect, Uni Christian Barrios, stood in shackles during his brief trial and spoke only to say he understood he was charged with two counts of murder and six counts of attempted murder. He was not immediately asked to file a petition.
The Las Vegas Harmony Magistrate has scheduled a hearing for January 12 to determine whether Barrios will face trial in state court on charges that could make him face a possible death sentence, and ordered him to remain in prison without bail. A grand jury can indict Barrios before that time.
“We are conducting an efficiency assessment based on the nature of everything we know so far,” Deputy Attorney General Scott coffee He said outside the court after the hearing. “Clearly there are mental health concerns.”
Authorities say Barrios, 32, asked showgirls on the sidewalk to pose with him for a photo before using a top chef’s knife to stab Maris DiGiovanni, 30, and Brent Alan Hallett, 46, on October 6 outside the Wynn Resort Las Vegas.
Police said two other women, dressed as showgirls, were among the six people injured in the midday attack.
On Tuesday, he and defense attorney Jeff Maningo were investigating their client’s background, but Covey said they believed Barrios was born in Guatemala He lived in the United States for at least several years. It was not immediately clear whether Barrios was a documented immigrant.
Attorney General John Giordani declined to comment on Barrios’s nationality and mental state. He said the surveillance video clearly shows the attack.
Coffey said he was aware that a man who identified himself as Barrios approached a videographer for Los Angeles’ sister station Telemundo 52 on NBC outside Los Angeles City Hall on October 4 and asked for help, saying he had lost his home and everything he had.
The defense attorney said Barrios may have been under enough pressure to trigger what Covey described as a psychotic episode.
The Las Vegas police arrest report stated that after arriving in Las Vegas, Barrios sought work at Wynn and asked the hotel cleaner to contact US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to return him to Guatemala before the alleged sidewalk attack.
Barrios told police he was trying to sell his chef knives so he could get home, and police said he was wearing a white long-sleeved chef’s jacket that was stained with blood when he was arrested after a brief chase.
The officers also recovered a knife that Barrios believed to be thrown into the bush while on the run, according to authorities.
Clark County Attorney Steve Wolfson Prosecutors said they will decide in the coming weeks whether to seek the death penalty in the case.
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