NH Man Found Guilty In Worcester Restaurant Killing

WORCESTER, MA — The man who stabbed and killed Amanda Dabrowski inside O'Connor's Restaurant three years ago will likely spend the rest of his life in jail after he was found guilty of murder on Tuesday.

Carlos Asencio, 28, formerly of Derry, NH, was first indicted in Dabrowski's stabbing death in December 2019. Asencio stalked Dabrowski for months after they dated, including an incident where he was accused of breaking into her home while wearing a mask and carrying a gun. He fled to Mexico after the home invasion, but returned to continue terrorizing Dabrowski, prosecutors said.

Asencio stabbed Dabrowski, 31, as she attended a book club inside O'Connor's Restaurant on July 3, 2019. Restaurant patrons intervened to stop the attack, but Dabrowski later died at a local hospital.

While no verdict will ever bring Amanda back, we are relieved that a jury found this man responsible for taking her from us," Dabrowski's family said following Tuesday's verdict. "We know he can never harm another person again. The jury helped us find some justice today, though we know there are no real winners."

On top of being found guilty on a murder charge, Asencio was also found guilty of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon because he also stabbed a restaurant patron who intervened in the attack. Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said the murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence without parole. Asencio will be formally sentenced on June 29.