Mother of Staten Island teen accused of beheading man describes horror

The gruesome and tragic incident that occurred in Staten Island involving a teen accused of beheading his mother’s boyfriend has left the community in shock. The suspect, Damien Hurstel, allegedly showed his younger sister the mutilated body of Anthony Casalaspro and asked her if she wanted their mother to live. The mother, Alicia Zayas, recounted the heartbreaking moment when her daughter Bri encountered her blood-soaked brother and begged for their mother’s safety.

Bri, terrified by the scene in the bathroom where Casalaspro’s head was removed with a spoon, managed to escape and call her mother for help. Zayas rushed home to find a blood-stained house and her son wearing a disturbing expression in the kitchen. She bravely entered the bathroom, only to witness the unimaginable horror and scream in disbelief.

Damien, 19, confessed to the heinous crime and now faces charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, and criminal possession of a weapon. The crime scene depicted a chilling image of the severed head lying next to the lifeless body in a walk-in shower, with a bowl and a saw nearby. Zayas, devastated by the loss of her boyfriend and the actions of her son, pleaded with the arriving police officers not to harm Damien.

The tragedy could have been prevented, according to Zayas, if the medical system had provided better care for her mentally ill son. Damien had been on psychiatric medications since he was 14, but a change in medication without proper communication led to a downward spiral in his mental health. Zayas expressed her frustration at not being involved in her son’s treatment after he turned 18 and emphasized the importance of proper mental health care.

Damien’s history of mental health issues, including PTSD, major depression, and suicidal attempts, paints a troubling picture of his struggles. Zayas described her son as a good boy before his mental health deteriorated, attributing his issues to a turbulent childhood marked by his father’s imprisonment and traumatic experiences at a young age.

As the legal proceedings unfold, Zayas and her legal team are determined to uncover Damien’s psychiatric history to understand the circumstances that led to this tragic event. She mourns the loss of her boyfriend, Casalaspro, who was a supportive figure in her life and a caring influence on her children. The family was in the process of buying a home together, highlighting the shattered dreams and devastation caused by this senseless act of violence.