A shocking murder inside a Staten Island home has exposed years of ignored warnings and failed interventions, as police sources reveal officers were repeatedly called to the same residence on domestic violence reports long before the gruesome killing.
Authorities say 19-year-old Damien Hurstel allegedly decapitated his mother’s boyfriend, 45-year-old sanitation worker Anthony Casalaspro, following a violent altercation inside their West Brighton home. But what’s emerging now paints a picture of systemic neglect — one that neighbors say was a tragedy waiting to happen.
Casalaspro had been listed as the alleged perpetrator in at least five domestic violence-related 911 calls since 2021, according to sources. In one 2023 incident, he allegedly attacked Hurstel and slapped the teen’s mother after officers told him to leave earlier that same day. “She was screaming,” one neighbor recalled. “Her leg was bent the wrong way. I said, ‘Do you want me to call 911?’ (The boyfriend) said, ‘No, you’re fine, you’re fine.’”
The victim, a city employee on disability due to severe vision loss, also had a criminal record dating back to 2000, including drug, assault, and reckless driving charges. Police were even warned in 2021 that he might have had a handgun — though none was found.
For many New Yorkers, the case raises troubling questions about why domestic violence calls too often end in tragedy. A system that sends officers to the same door over and over without real action is one that’s failing both victims and communities.
