Panda Express Tragedy: Suspect in Fatal Stabbing Invokes Self-Defense

LAS VEGAS, NV — New details emerged late Tuesday night from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) regarding a fatal stabbing that occurred near a Panda Express in the West Las Vegas Valley. Justin Ringer, 22, was apprehended following a Valentine’s Day incident that left 29-year-old Daniel Ohayon dead. Despite surveillance footage showing Ringer allegedly tracking and confronting the victim, the suspect has invoked his “5th Amendment right” and claims he acted in self-defense.

The confrontation allegedly began after Ohayon followed Ringer’s ex-girlfriend through a restaurant parking lot on North Buffalo Drive. Surveillance footage captures a calculated escalation: Ringer is seen crossing the street to intercept Ohayon. While the defense claims Ohayon threw a rock, investigators pointed to Ringer’s overhand stabbing motions targeting the victim’s neck. A baseball bat with blood on it was also recovered from the scene, reportedly carried by an associate of the suspect.

From a standpoint of law and order, this case tests the limits of Nevada’s “Stand Your Ground” laws. True self-defense requires an immediate, unavoidable threat—not a pre-planned pursuit. Accountability in this case will hinge on whether a jury views Ringer’s actions as a protective measure or a premeditated act of violence masked as heroism.

Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal, LVMPD Media Bureau.