A man from Peabody, Massachusetts, is charged with manslaughter after prosecutors say he shoved his sister off the steps of his home on New Year's Day, causing a head injury that killed her.
Investigators from the Essex County District Attorney's Office said Alban Dobra, 39, was trying to kick his sisters out of his home on Esquire Drive when the deadly assault took place. He allegedly grabbed one of them, identified as Mimoza Sawtelle, 54, and shoved her off the front steps onto a walkway below. Investigators say her head hit the pavement, causing serious head trauma.
Police were called to the home around 5:30 p.m. and Sawtelle was taken to the hospital for treatment, but she died of the injury several days later, on January 5.
Dobra was arrested the same night as the incidents and initially charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury. He was held without bail after his initial arraignment on Jan. 2. On Monday, he was arraigned on the upgraded manslaughter charge.
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.
He is next scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 12, 2024.
