A shocking event unfolded in the West Brighton section of Staten Island as a 19-year-old, Damien Hurstel, was charged with the murder of his 45-year-old stepfather, Anthony Casalaspro. According to ABC7 New York, police received a call for a person stabbed at 380 Cary Ave and upon arrival found Casalaspro in the bathtub with multiple stab wounds to his head and neck.
Hurstel faces charges of murder and criminal possession of a weapon. As stated by police sources, Casalaspro suffered not only stab wounds but was also decapitated, a knife still lodged in his neck upon officers' discovery. The authorities are now to closely examine what might have triggered such a violent event. Notwithstanding the lack of prior arrests, the police mentioned that Hurstel may have a history of mental illness.
The grisly scene shocked the neighborhood, with longtime resident Hugh Nembhard recounting to ABC7 New York that despite living across the street for some 60 years, he never saw Hurstel, only the father. “This is a shock to me. The neighborhood has changed," Nembhard told reporters, expressing the disruption such a tragedy causes in what is known as a tight-knit community.
The investigation is ongoing, with detectives suiting up in protective gear to carefully scrutinize the scene. Hurstel, the stepson of Casalaspro, was expected to be arraigned Tuesday, cited the Staten Island district attorney's office, as reported by the NBC New York.
