Trial for man accused of killing lady inside Worcester restaurant begins. Right here’s what to know from opening statements.

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Carlos Asencio allegedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend Amanda Dabrowski to demise inside O’Connor’s Restaurant & Bar in Worcester on July 3, 2019.

In 2019, 31-year-old Amanda Dabrowski was stabbed to demise inside O’Connor’s Restaurant & Bar in Worcester. The person accused of killing her, Carlos Asencio, was taken into custody on the scene. 

Dabrowski, who was on the restaurant for a ebook membership assembly, was killed on July 3, 2019. On Monday, virtually 4 years after Dabrowski died, Asencio’s trial for her homicide started in Worcester Superior Court docket. 

Each the prosecution and protection gave opening statements to a jury Monday morning. Right here’s what to know. 

The prosecution’s case

“Revenge and manipulation. That’s what this case is about,” Worcester County Assistant District Legal professional Tiffany Scanlon informed jurors. 

In laying out the case in opposition to Asencio, she painted a portrait of a jilted lover who meticulously plotted revenge in opposition to the lady he blamed for hardships in his life. 

Asencio and Dabrowski met whereas working at Bristol Myers Squibb, a pharmaceutical firm, Scanlon stated. They began courting in December 2018 and Dabrowski ended the connection after simply three months. Asencio didn’t take the breakup properly, and “grilled” one other colleague who she went on a date with. 

Asencio later misplaced his job and have become homeless. Scanlon stated he blamed Dabrowski for these misfortunes. 

“The Commonwealth would recommend to you that Carlos Asencio determined that if he couldn’t have Amanda Dabrowski, then nobody may,” she informed jurors. 

In April 2019, Asencio allegedly broke into Dabrowski’s house and attacked her with a stun gun, officers stated. Whereas Dabrowski was not named at first, officers later confirmed that Asencio attacked the identical sufferer inside O’Connor’s. Within the wake of the April assault, Asencio fled the nation. 

However he was again within the Worcester space by June 2019, Scanlon stated. He purchased a automotive on-line and insisted that the present plates stay on the car in an effort to hide his motion. 

On June 29, his cellular phone started pinging close to a meals pantry Asencio was recognized to frequent. Prosecutors say that, round 3 a.m. on June 30, the cellphone moved to the Webster deal with the place Dabrowski was residing on the time. Asensio then secretly taped his cellphone to the underside of her car. His fingerprints have been later discovered on the tape, Scanlon stated. 

On July 1, a second cellphone that was present in Asencio’s possession downloaded and bought an app used to assist customers discover their different units. Prosecutors say he used this app to trace the cellphone he taped to Dabrowski’s automotive via a shared Google account on each units. 

On July 2, Asencio met up with a homeless couple he knew, and provided to present them the automotive he lately bought, Scanlon stated. The three of them stayed in an deserted warehouse that night time. Asencio spun them a “tall story” about how he misplaced his job and have become homeless due to Dabrowski, she added. 

On July 3, Asencio informed the couple that he was going to the meals pantry, and returned about an hour later in a “completely satisfied” temper, Scanlon stated. He requested the couple about O’Connor’s, particularly about what acceptable apparel could be to put on to the restaurant. He picked out an outfit and introduced gown sneakers with him to verify he may get into the restaurant. 

He additionally introduced with him two knives, Scanlon stated. One was a folding, hunting-style knife. The opposite was a fixed-blade kitchen knife. 

Asencio then took a taxi to O’Connor’s, paid his fare in money, and entered the restaurant. Surveillance cameras captured him lingering within the foyer and pulling out the cellular phone that prosecutors say he was utilizing to trace her location. At one level, he appeared out a window to verify Dabrowski’s automotive was parked outdoors, Scanlon stated. He proceeded to stroll via the restaurant in a “calm, cool, collected” method. 

Dabrowski’s ebook membership was assembly in a non-public room. She emerged from the room and, as quickly as he noticed her, Asencio ran as much as her and started stabbing her repeatedly, Scanlon stated. He wielded a knife in every hand, and Dabrowski was stabbed a complete of 58 instances. 

Different patrons heard screaming, and a number of other bystanders tackled Asencio and subdued him till police arrived. A person who helped on this effort sustained a non-life-threatening stab wound. Asencio additionally faces a cost of Assault and Battery for this stabbing. 

Within the aftermath of the assault, as police arrived, Asencio yelled “simply kill me, I don’t should stay,” Scanlon stated. 

“Let me be clear, that indisputable fact that the defendant was suicidal after this brutal killing reveals that he knew what he simply did and he knew what he was doing,” she stated. 

The protection’s case

In his opening assertion, lawyer Robert Griffin didn’t deny the occasions laid out by Scanlon. He stated that Asencio did kill Dabrowski, however that he needs to be discovered not responsible attributable to psychological sickness. 

“That occurred,” he stated. “What occurred is a results of his psychological sickness.”

Instantly after Asencio’s arrest, he was examined by a psychologist and dedicated to Bridgewater State Hospital for statement, Griffin stated. At the moment, Asencio was not discovered to be competent sufficient to face trial. 

Asencio was dedicated to spend one other yr on the hospital, and afterwards was as soon as once more not discovered to be competent sufficient for a trial, Griffin stated. 

Remedy and remedy continued for a second yr, and ultimately Asencio was deemed competent for a trial. 

Griffin stated that Asencio was “engaged in a psychotic episode,” and {that a} scientific psychologist who examined Asencio, Dr. Paul Zeizel, will likely be known as to testify in entrance of the court docket. 

“The truth that somebody can plan doesn’t negate psychosis. I count on you’ll hear that from Dr. Zeizel. The truth that somebody can stand up and performance doesn’t imply they don’t seem to be psychotic,” Griffin stated. 

Griffin requested jurors to determine a verdict primarily based solely on the proof they hear in court docket, and to maintain an open thoughts concerning the case. He did acknowledge the chilling circumstances surrounding the case. 

“It’s a horrible case. It’s a horrible, horrible set of information, there’s no query about that,” he stated.