Knife Rampage After Bail Release

Hands holding handcuffs in a black and white image

A television actor known for his role on “How I Met Your Mother” has been sentenced to 32 years to life in prison after breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s home in the early morning hours and stabbing her multiple times — a brutal act of domestic violence that a California jury refused to excuse.

Story Snapshot

Nick Pasqual, 36, was convicted of attempted murder, first-degree residential burglary, and domestic violence injury charges stemming from a May 23, 2024 stabbing attack on his ex-girlfriend Allie Shehorn.
Prosecutors say Pasqual broke into Shehorn’s home just before 4:30 a.m., attacked her with a knife, and then fled California — reportedly crossing into Mexico before being apprehended.
A San Fernando jury found Pasqual guilty on all counts, and a judge subsequently sentenced him to 32 years to life in prison.
The case highlights the deadly danger of domestic violence escalation, particularly when a prior arrest fails to keep an abuser away from his victim.

A Predawn Attack and a Flight From Justice

Prosecutors presented a chilling timeline to the jury: Pasqual forced his way into Shehorn’s home just before 4:30 a.m. on May 23, 2024, and attacked her with a knife, stabbing her multiple times. After the assault, he fled California entirely. The flight itself became part of the prosecution’s case, signaling consciousness of guilt. Pasqual was ultimately apprehended and returned to California to face charges that included attempted murder and first-degree residential burglary with a person present.

What makes the attack particularly alarming is that Pasqual had already been arrested for domestic violence against Shehorn just five days earlier, on May 18, 2024. He was released on a $50,000 bond — and days later, allegedly used that freedom to carry out a far more violent assault. That sequence raises serious questions about whether the initial release decision adequately protected the victim, a Hollywood makeup artist who survived the attack.

Jury Delivers a Decisive Verdict

A San Fernando jury convicted Pasqual on all major counts: attempted murder, first-degree residential burglary with a person present, and injuring a spouse, cohabitant, or dating partner — the statutory domestic violence injury charge. The multi-count verdict reflects the jury’s acceptance of the prosecution’s full theory of the case: that Pasqual unlawfully entered Shehorn’s home with the intent to kill her and carried out a calculated, violent attack on a woman he had previously been in a relationship with.

The burglary conviction carries particular legal weight. California prosecutors routinely add residential burglary charges in domestic violence cases where the defendant enters a victim’s home without permission, because it captures the separate harm of violating a protected residence. Combined with the attempted murder count, the charging strategy significantly increased Pasqual’s sentencing exposure — ultimately contributing to the decades-long prison term a judge imposed.

32 Years to Life: Justice Delivered

At sentencing, a judge handed Pasqual 32 years to life in state prison. The sentence reflects the severity of the crimes and the calculated nature of the attack — a predawn home invasion against a woman who had already sought protection through the legal system. For Shehorn, who survived multiple stab wounds, the verdict and sentence represent accountability that the initial $50,000 bond release failed to provide.

Nick Pasqual received his sentence Tuesday for the 2024 stabbing of estranged ex-girlfriend Allie Shehorn. https://t.co/SmqsjxOzJB

— KENS 5 (@KENS5) June 3, 2026

Pasqual had a minor acting credit on the popular CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother,” which drove significant media attention to the case. But beyond the celebrity angle, this case is a sobering reminder that domestic violence rarely stays at one level of severity — it escalates. When courts and the bail system fail to take early warning signs seriously, the consequences can be catastrophic. Shehorn survived, but the system’s initial response gave her attacker a second opportunity to harm her. The jury’s verdict and the judge’s sentence sent an unambiguous message: violent domestic abusers will be held fully accountable under the law.