A Staten Island teenager, covered in blood, reportedly allegedly beheaded his mother’s partner with a knife and chillingly told his younger sibling, “I did something bad, go to your room,” upon her return from school, law enforcement sources shared on Tuesday.
The 19-year-old’s alarming admonition was ignored by his 16-year-old sister, who traced blood splatters to the bathroom of their West Brighton residence to discover the 45-year-old sanitation worker’s body in the tub, a knife protruding from his severed head, according to sources.
This gruesome find led the girl to contact their mother, who hastened to the Cary Avenue home as police arrived to manage the chaotic scene, according to neighbors and reports.
Witness Jennifer Diaz, 46, recounted that the mother was heard pleading with her son, “Why did you kill him?! I still loved him!” as she shouted from outside the house.
The allegedly disturbed suspect, who has been battling longstanding mental health issues, surrendered to police with his hands up shortly after officers arrived at about 4:20 p.m., sources indicated.
The young man was subsequently taken to a medical facility and was seen being wheeled out of an NYPD precinct on a gurney the following Tuesday, visible blood still on his body while wearing a Tyvek suit.
As of Tuesday morning, he had not been formally charged, and his identity has not been disclosed.
Neighbor Diaz remarked that when police escorted the teen from the house, handcuffed, his mother did not even glance at him, describing his blood-spattered face as eerily calm.
Diaz noted, “He had blood on his face and his Timberland boots but not on his clothes; they must have dressed him afterward.” She described his demeanor as blank yet serene—”No expression. He said nothing, just very calm.”
Although the teenager has no prior criminal record, he has reportedly faced mental health struggles, including schizophrenia and a history of self-harm dating back to 2022, according to insiders.
Reports indicate a history of domestic incidents involving the family, although it remains unclear whether the siblings share a biological connection.
The deceased sanitation worker had been in a relationship with the suspect’s mother for nearly six years. “They had their ups and downs with the kids,” explained Louis Ortiz, a close friend of the victim, on Monday night.
Ortiz noted that while the accused teen could be “sweet as pie,” he perpetually dealt with substantial challenges at school related to his mental health.
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Neighbor Mariano Castro, 36, remarked that the victim and his partner’s son seemed to have a typical father-son relationship, having seen them together recently mowing the lawn and grilling in their backyard.
The mother’s agonizing screams filled the usually quiet neighborhood as EMS arrived on the scene Monday evening. A neighbor claimed she saw her vomit as the headless body was removed from the residence.
“There’s nothing to be done, you can’t help him,” the distraught mother insisted to the first responders, as described by Diaz. “She was yelling. She said, ‘His head is in the tub. There’s nothing for you to do.’”