Damien Hurstel Decapitated His Mother’s Boyfriend, Anthony Casalaspro – Staten Island, New York
By SyndicatedNews | SNN.BZ
Damien Hurstel, a 19-year-old from Staten Island, New York, is accused of the brutal murder of his mother’s boyfriend, Anthony Casalaspro, a 45-year-old retired New York City Sanitation Department mechanic.
The incident occurred on October 6, 2025, inside the family’s home on Cary Avenue in the West Brighton neighborhood of Staten Island. Hurstel allegedly stabbed Casalaspro multiple times in the head and neck with a knife and meat tenderizer, decapitated him using a hacksaw, removed his brain with a spoon, and attempted to dismember the body further, including by placing parts in a blender.
According to police sources, Hurstel confessed to the acts, stating, “I cut his head off and put part of his body in the blender,” and explained that he and Casalaspro had fought before the attack. NY Daily News
The motive remains unclear, with no prior arrests for Hurstel and no history of emotional disturbance officially noted by police at the time of charging, though family and neighbors reported his long-standing mental health struggles, including schizophrenia, self-harm, and suicidal ideation dating back to age 6 after his biological father’s imprisonment.
Hurstel’s mother, Alicia Zayas (Casalaspro’s fiancée), has described the killing as “preventable,” citing inadequate mental health support for her son after he turned 18, when doctors were no longer obligated to share treatment details with the family because he had reached adult age.
She recounted that Hurstel had stabilized by age 14 but deteriorated recently, including an alleged violent assault on her the previous year. Zayas emphasized Casalaspro’s supportive role in raising her children, stating, “He loved my kids. He loved Damien,” and noted prior calls to police about Casalaspro’s behavior in the home, though she denied he was abusive. SILive.com NY Post via Yahoo
Timeline of Events
| Date/Time | Key Developments |
|---|---|
| October 6, 2025 (~9:00 AM) | Hurstel allegedly attacks Casalaspro in the family home using a knife and meat tenderizer during a fight. He stabs the victim multiple times, decapitates him with a hacksaw in the bathtub, removes the brain with a spoon, and begins dismemberment attempts. SILive.com NY Daily News |
| October 6, 2025 (~4:30 PM) | Hurstel’s 16-year-old sister returns home from school, discovers the mutilated body in the bathroom, and confronts her brother, who calmly tells her, “I did something bad. Go to your room.” She calls 911, alerting their mother, who arrives and vomits in shock upon seeing the scene. ABC7 New York TMZ |
| October 6, 2025 (Evening) | Police arrive at the Cary Avenue home. Hurstel, covered in blood but appearing calm and “relieved” with a blank expression, steps outside to surrender without resistance. He is taken into custody at the NYPD’s 120th Precinct stationhouse in St. George. CBS New York International Business Times |
| October 7, 2025 | Hurstel is charged with second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and other related counts. While in custody, he suffers an epileptic seizure and is hospitalized. He is photographed bloodied in a Tyvek suit being loaded into an ambulance on a gurney. SILive.com AOL |
| October 8, 2025 | Hurstel arraigned via video from his hospital bed in Staten Island Criminal Court, wearing a blue hospital gown. He pleads not guilty, remains motionless and unresponsive during the hearing. Judge Biju J. Koshy remands him without bail, citing the crime’s severity. His attorney, Mark Fonte, requests suicide watch and psychiatric care, describing Hurstel as “an extremely troubled young man with a long documented history of mental health issues.” SILive.com Daily Gazette |
| October 10, 2025 | Prosecutors hand over a grand jury indictment charging Hurstel with second-degree murder, manslaughter, concealment of a human corpse, and weapons possession. He remains hospitalized at Richmond University Medical Center. SILive.com |
| October 17, 2025 | Hurstel makes his first in-person court appearance in Richmond County Supreme Court after being transferred from the hospital to solitary confinement at Rikers Island. His attorney reports an “extremely troubling” jailhouse conversation where Hurstel struggled to distinguish fact from fiction and spoke in a monotone, unemotional manner. The case is adjourned. Attorneys notify the court of intent to pursue an insanity defense. SILive.com |
Victim Background
Anthony Casalaspro, a McKee High School graduate, was a dedicated sanitation worker who had recently retired. Described by friends and family as “a great man,” he had been in a long-term relationship with Alicia Zayas and helped raise her children, including Hurstel.
Neighbors and loved ones expressed devastation, with friends Louis and Donna Ortiz criticizing city mental health services for failing Hurstel, whom they believed needed more intervention. Zayas and Casalaspro were reportedly planning to buy a home together before the tragedy. SILive.com Hoodline
Legal Status and Defense
As of October 19, 2025, Hurstel is held without bail at Rikers Island in solitary confinement. He faces charges including second-degree murder (top count, carrying up to 25 years to life if convicted), manslaughter, concealment of a human corpse, and criminal possession of a weapon.
His legal team, including attorneys Mark Fonte and Louis Gelormino, is gathering his full psychiatric records to argue an insanity defense or seek mental health treatment over incarceration.
Fonte has publicly urged the public to “withhold judgment” due to Hurstel’s documented issues. The next court date is pending adjournment, with the investigation ongoing. Family members, including Zayas, have attended hearings but declined comment. SILive.com La Voce di New York
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