In the years leading up to the tragic incident involving Damien Herstell, who is accused of decapitating his mother’s boyfriend, emergency calls for assistance consistently brought police to a home on Staten Island, as reported by The Post.
The victim, Anthony Casaraspuro, 45, a city sanitation worker, had been identified as the aggressor in at least five domestic violence-related 911 calls from his residence in West Brighton since 2021, according to officials.
In the most recent incident in 2023, sources claim that while intoxicated, Casaraspuro assaulted Herstell and then slapped the boy’s mother.
Authorities noted that despite police asking a very drunk Casaraspuro to leave earlier in the day, he was later permitted to return.
Neighbors recounted the shocking scene that unfolded outside the Cary Avenue home, where, notably, Herstell’s mother ended up with a broken leg.
One neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, described hearing a scream they had never encountered before. “She was on the ground, her legs bent the wrong way. I thought about calling 911, but my boyfriend said, ‘No, it’s okay, it’s okay,’” the neighbor shared.
During the initial reported domestic violence case in 2021, the mother informed authorities that Casaraspuro was intoxicated, had damaged property, and possessed a handgun, which was never located.
Friends mentioned that Casaraspuro had to rely on disability benefits due to significant vision loss and had a criminal background, including a 2000 arrest for drug sales.
Among his other offenses were a 2015 charge for possessing a gravity knife and an assault coupled with reckless driving in 2020.
It was also revealed that Herstell’s mother had been visited by mental health professionals. The mother reportedly told a 911 caller that she had contemplated suicide and had inflicted cuts on herself multiple times as far back as 2022.
Neither Herstell’s mother nor other family members provided comments on the situation.
