A chilling pattern of urgent cries for assistance repeatedly sent police to a Staten Island home plagued by horror prior to the shocking incident where troubled teen Damien Hurstel allegedly murdered his mother’s partner within its walls, according to reports from The Post.
The dismembered victim—Anthony Casalaspro, 45, a worker for the city’s Department of Sanitation—had a history of domestic violence and had been identified as the aggressor in at least five 911 calls related to domestic incidents at the West Brighton residence starting in 2021, sources disclosed.
In the latest reported incident occurring in 2023, sources indicated that Casalaspro drunkenly assaulted Hurstel before attacking the teen’s mother.
The reported attack transpired after police had previously instructed the intoxicated individual to vacate the premises earlier that same day, only for him to return shortly thereafter, according to sources.
Residents on the tree-lined street have shared alarming accounts of unsettling episodes emanating from the Cary Avenue household, including one instance where Hurstel’s mother sustained a broken leg.
“I heard her screams,” a neighbor, who chose to remain anonymous, recounted on Tuesday.
“It was unlike anything I’ve ever heard. She was down on the ground, her leg at a disturbing angle. I asked, ‘Do you need me to call 911?’ but (the boyfriend) insisted, ‘No, it’s fine, everything’s fine.’”
During the first reported incident of domestic violence in 2021, the mother informed authorities that her boyfriend was violently breaking items in their home while allegedly possessing a handgun, which was never recovered, sources stated.
Casalaspro, who had been compelled to take disability leave due to significant vision impairment, also had a criminal history that dates back to 2000, beginning with an arrest for drug-related offenses, as reported by sources.
His prior offenses included possession of a gravity knife in 2015 and a 2020 incident involving assault and reckless driving, as revealed by sources.
The young Hurstel was also a subject of mental health-related calls to the residence, according to sources.
The teen’s mother had informed 911 operators that he had made suicidal threats as early as 2022 and had a history of self-inflicted injuries involving cuts to his hands, sources confirmed.
Hurstel’s mother and other relatives opted not to comment on the situation.
Additional reporting by Kevin Sheehan
