WORCESTER – A jury on Tuesday found Carlos Asencio guilty of murder in the fatal stabbing of his former co-worker and ex-girlfriend, Amanda Dabrowski, 31, at a crowded Worcester restaurant in 2019.
The jury also found Asencio, 32, guilty of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the injury of a patron inside the restaurant who helped subdue Asencio.
Before jurors deliberated, prosecutors outlined their case for Asencio, calling Dabrowski’s killing “premeditated.”
“First degree murder committed with deliberate premeditation and with extreme atrocity and cruelty,” said Worcester Assistant District Attorney Edward Karcasinas.
“I ask that you return the verdict of not guilty by reason of mental defect,” said Robert Griffin, defense attorney.
The question before the jury is not so much whether Asencio killed Dabrowski, but whether he was mentally competent at the time. Prosecutors say there is no mental illness in this case.
“Fueled by jealousy and rage, Mr. Asencio murdered Amanda Dabrowski,” Karcasinas said.
Prosecutors say Asencio tried to kill Amanda at her home yesterday, fled the country and returned. He is accused of following her by recording a cell phone in her car. He followed her to O’Connor’s restaurant in Worcester where he entered with two large knives on July 3, 2019.
Surveillance video shows him walking around the restaurant until he found Amanda and stabbed her 58 times.
“The ability to function doesn’t mean you’re not psychotic. It doesn’t mean you’re not mentally ill,” Griffin said. The defense says that since Asencio has been medicated, he has improved. “His motive was to stop hearing the voices. in his flawed mind, the only way to do that was to do what he did.”
Several patrons jumped in to try to save Amanda and assure Asencio that she asked to die. Prosecutors argue that this further shows that he planned to kill Amanda. “He was following his own internal dialogue to find and kill Amanda, the woman who ruined his life,” Karcasinas said.
“I have to recognize and thank the Good Samaritans who rushed an armed assailant inside a crowded restaurant while trying to save Amanda. They showed bravery in a horrible situation,” said Worcester County District Attorney, Joseph Early.
“While no verdict will ever return Amanda, we are relieved that a jury found this man responsible for taking her from us,” the Dabrowski family said outside court. “We know he will never be able to hurt another person again. The jury helped us find some justice today, even though we know there are no real winners.”
A conviction for murder carries a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. The sentence is scheduled for June 29.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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