Las Vegas police say man arrested in stabbings of 4 homeless individuals

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department says a man has been arrested in connection with four stabbings of homeless people within a week.

According to Las Vegas police, the suspect, identified as Christopher Martell, was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon after he stabbed two people, a male and a female.

Police said the investigation began after a homeless woman was stabbed and killed while she slept on Sept 14. A second person, a 74-year-old homeless woman, was then stabbed to death on Sept. 20.

Thinking that the two incidents were related, LVMPD Capt. Dori Koren says the department enacted “major case protocol.”

The suspect was taken into custody Wednesday after he stabbed two more homeless individuals near Flamingo Road and Eastern Avenue by Desert Springs Hospital. The individuals, a male and female, are in critical and stable condition, police said.

Police said that Martell faces two murder charges and two attempted murder charges.