A 19-year-old Staten Island teen, Damien Hurstel, allegedly confessed to police that he fatally bludgeoned his mother’s boyfriend, 45-year-old Anthony Casalaspro, with a meat tenderiser, reportedly claiming he wanted to experience what it was like to kill someone.
According to law-enforcement sources cited by the New York Post, Hurstel described plans to dispose of the body by liquifying it in a blender and flushing it down the toilet, starting with the brain. Casalaspro was later found with multiple stab wounds to the neck and head, with parts reportedly removed using a hacksaw.
The victim’s decapitated body was discovered by Hurstel’s 16-year-old sister, who arrived home to the gruesome scene. Hurstel allegedly admitted to his sister, saying he “did something bad,” and tried to prevent her from seeing the body. His mother, Alicia Zayas, arrived shortly after first responders, reportedly screaming and in shock at the scene.
Hurstel was seen being led out of the house in blood-stained clothing—black hoodie, sweatpants, and Timberland boots—appearing calm and compliant. Neighbors described him as “relieved” as he followed officers’ instructions into a patrol car.
The teenager reportedly has a history of mental illness and is believed to be schizophrenic. Casalaspro, a retired New York Department of Sanitation employee, had been with Hurstel’s mother for nearly six years.
Hurstel is expected to be charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. While being transported to a Staten Island courthouse, he reportedly suffered a seizure and was taken to a hospital.
