Worcester Restaurant Killer Gets Long Prison Sentence

WORCESTER, MA — The man who stabbed and killed Amanda Dabrowski in a Worcester restaurant three years ago will spend the rest of his life in state prison.

A Worcester County Superior Court judge sentenced Carlos Asencio to life without parole on Thursday. Asencio was found guilty of first-degree murder and assault after a jury trial earlier this month.

Dabrowski severed ties with Asencio after dating briefly dating him in 2019, and he began stalking her in response — including an incident where he broke into her apartment wearing a mask and carrying a gun. After the home invasion, Asecncio fled to Mexico and Dabrowski sought a protection order against him.

Asencio, a former New Hampshire resident, reentered the U.S. undetected. He walked into O'Connor's Restaurant on July 3, 2019, and began stabbing Dabrowski. A patron who attempted to intervene was also injured in the attack.

Dabrowski's family have expressed relief that Asencio was convicted of murder, but have said nothing will ever make up for their loss.

"You're a pathetic human being, taking the life of one who is so much more deserving than yours. You invaded her personal space, and you invaded her privacy," Dabrowski's sister, Victoria, said ahead of Asencio's sentencing on Thursday, WCVB reported.