Manhattan D.A. Bragg has announced the indictment of 51-Year-Old Edward Asencio for beating his 84-year-old mother to death in their Upper West Side apartment last July. Asencio was arrested last week on charges of Manslaughter in the Second Degree and Assault in the Second Degree.
“As alleged, Edward Asencio neglected and isolated his 84-year-old mother before killing her in their shared apartment. The defendant’s alleged attack on his own mother, who relied on him for care, is abhorrent,” said D.A. Bragg. “Older New Yorkers deserve quality care, and those who abuse the people in their care will be held accountable. If you or someone you know is 60 years or older and a victim of abuse, I encourage you to contact our Elder Abuse Unit at 212-335-9007 or EAU@dany.nyc.gov.”
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Asencio lived with his mother, Ana Asencio, in an apartment at 70 West 93rd Street. He was her sole caregiver, but according to the D.A.’s report, he had been neglecting her for some time, “refusing to bring her to medical appointments for several months leading up to her death.”
Asencio fatally assaulted his mother at the apartment–”beating her head, chest, and neck”–on July 17, 2023, though her death was not ruled a homicide until January 2024, when the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) determined her official cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head.
Later that same night, at a bit past 10 p.m., Asencio entered the apartment with a friend who ended up calling 911 “to report that Ms. Ascencio was on the floor of a squalid bedroom in the apartment, unresponsive.” EMS arrived and declared her deceased at the scene.
According to a court-authorized search warrant, Asencio’s internet history has included searches for information about elder abuse, autopsies and why the status would be “pending,” and how the police conduct investigations before an arrest.
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