A teenager from Staten Island, accused of killing his mother’s boyfriend, reportedly displayed the dismembered body to his sister and asked their mother whether she wanted him to stay alive.
During a tearful recounting, Alicia Zayas, the suspect’s mother, described the chilling conversation her 16-year-old daughter, Bri, had with her son, Damian Herstel, who is 19 years old. When Bri asked if Damian would hurt their mother, he responded by asking, “Do you want her to be alive?” To which Bri replied, “Yes, please,” and Damian assured her, “Okay, she’s going to live.”
Bri then inquired if she could exit the blood-soaked bathroom. Sources revealed that the attacker had used a spoon to remove a portion of Anthony Casaraspuro’s brain. Casaraspuro was living with Zayas.
“Are you going to tell your mom?” Damian asked his sister afterward.
Heartbroken, Zayas shared in an interview that Bri answered “no” when questioned. Bri fled and hid in the backyard, where she immediately called her mother.
Zayas, 39, recalled her daughter’s “scary” phone call saying, “Damien killed Anthony, and he has no head.”
Police stated that Damian confessed to the stabbing and decapitation of Casaraspuro, who was 45, within their home. He now faces charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, and weapon possession.
At the gruesome scene, images depicted the body of a decapitated man, shirtless and in red briefs, lying next to another corpse in a shower, with a bowl and a saw nearby. A spoonhandle was even found sticking out of the victim’s skull.
Panicking, Zayas hurried home, warning her daughter to call 911 if she didn’t hear from her in a couple of minutes. Upon entering the house, where the front door stood open, Zayas found blood everywhere. Damian was in the kitchen, appearing anxious.
“His eyes looked weird,” she noted. “They seemed bright and dark at the same time.” When she asked him what was happening, he assured her he was just cleaning, like washing the dishes.
When she inquired about Casaraspuro’s whereabouts, Damian told her he was in the bathroom but cautioned her against going in. Against her fear, Zayas prompted him to accompany her to meet Casaraspuro.
As she approached the bathroom, dread filled her. She found herself screaming in confusion, “Why? He loves you. Why would he do this?”
Calling 911, she begged for swift assistance, stating, “My son killed my boyfriend.” When asked if Casaraspuro could survive, she replied, “He has no head.”
Zayas ran outside to await the police, pleading for them not to harm her son when they arrived. She believes the tragedy could have been avoided if the healthcare system had been more effective for her son, who has faced multiple mental health challenges.
Zayas mentioned that the doctors had altered Damian’s medication in January without informing her, leading Damian to express feelings of unwellness following the change.
She became aware that he needed to be weaned off the antipsychotic Depakote but was never informed about what new medication he would be receiving. As Damian was legally an adult, his psychiatrist didn’t involve Zayas in discussions about his treatment.
She lamented, “Why don’t they tell us? I’m sure they knew.”
Zayas asserted that Casaraspuro was not abusive, although she admitted that her son could be violent. She recalled an incident on her birthday last year when he struck her for asking him to clean the kitchen.
Damian’s mental health issues began at age six after his father was imprisoned. Zayas noted that she experienced her own mental health struggles after being a victim of abuse in school, and she didn’t delve deeper into that topic.
Diagnosed with PTSD and major depression, Damian experienced hallucinations and sought help, which led to his first prescription of antipsychotics.
Although he had attempted suicide twice and was hospitalized, he stabilized on medication by age 14.
“I’m just shocked,” Zayas expressed. “My son wasn’t like this before. He was a good kid. Something is seriously wrong.”
After high school, though she managed his medical care, Zayas felt sidelined once he transitioned into an adult program for mental health.
She went to his early appointments but was told by Damian he could no longer attend with her. She added, “I didn’t even know what kind of doctor he was seeing.” Each day she reminded him to take his medication, and he insisted that he did.
His attorney noted the need for the public to suspend judgment and highlighted Damian’s troubled history with mental health.
The couple had plans to buy a house close to where they lived. “It’s heartbreaking,” Zayas shared. “Anthony was a great guy. He helped me raise my kids. He didn’t have to do that.”
