Vegas police: Man arrested in 4 stabbings, including 2 fatal

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Police say a man who was arrested near the scene of a street stabbing that left two people critically wounded also is believed to be responsible for two recent deadly knife attacks on homeless women in a residential area east of the Las Vegas Strip.

Christopher Martell, 33, refused to make an in-person appearance before a judge on Thursday and remained jailed without bail on two murder and two attempted murder charges following his arrest Wednesday.

The judge scheduled his initial court appearance next Tuesday in Las Vegas Justice Court. Martell is expected to have a defense attorney appointed to his case at that time.

Martell was arrested Wednesday following an attack on two people — a woman in her 30s and an older man in a wheelchair — on Flamingo Road not far from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, police said.

Lt. Jason Johansson told reporters Thursday that Martell attacked from behind, slashing the woman and pulling the man from the wheelchair and stabbing him. Both victims were described as homeless.

Police using cameras that had been posted in the area following two earlier attacks helped patrol officers locate Martell and arrest him, Capt. Dori Koren said, and investigators believe a large black knife confiscated during the arrest was used in all the attacks.

Martell had an apartment nearby, and Johansson said investigators serving a warrant found clothing, shoes and a hat believed to have been worn in the two earlier attacks.

Authorities identified Jody Devries, 57, as the woman found dead Sept. 14 behind a church and Mary Susan Miller, 74, as the woman found dead Sept. 20 in the same general area. The Clark County coroner said both died of multiple stab and slash wounds and neither had a home address.

Koren said a motive for the alleged attacks was not immediately known. He declined to describe what Martell told investigators following his arrest.