UPDATE: Victim of Staten Island decapitation horror was retired Sanitation mechanic: Sources
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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – A man was decapitated in a gruesome knife attack inside a home in West Brighton on Monday afternoon, according to a law-enforcement source.
Officers responding to a 911 call at around 4:20 p.m. on Cary Avenue between North Burgher Avenue and Broadway found the 45-year-old victim, according to an NYPD spokesperson.
The man was found dead inside a bathtub in the residence, the law enforcement source told the Advance/SILive.com.
The knife was still sticking out of his neck, the source said.
A male person of interest was taken into custody for questioning, the NYPD spokesperson said.
Detectives are investigating whether the fatality was domestic in nature, multiple sources told the Advance/SILive.com.
As of Monday night, no charges had been filed, the NYPD said.
Police have not released the identity of the victim.
An NYPD Crime Scene Unit van is parked on Cary Avenue.(Advance/SILive.com | Scott Axelrod)
A girl who lived at the residence arrived home in the afternoon and came upon the gruesome scene, the source said.
She found a blood trail in the home, which led to the bathroom.
Neighbors describe aftermath
Cary Avenue residents described a dramatic scene in the immediate aftermath of the stabbing.
One neighbor told the Advance/SILive.com she saw an adult woman “crying and throwing up” in the street outside the home.
“He’s dead!” the woman shouted, according to that neighbor’s account.
As first responders arrived at the scene, the neighbor said the woman told EMS personnel “the head is in the tub.”
Two other neighbors who spoke with reporters described seeing police take the person of interest into custody.
They said the young man had blood on his face and boots; one described him as being “calm and respectful” with police.
Police sirens illuminate the home at 380 Cary Ave. after a man was found dead in the bathtub on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025.(Advance/SILive.com | Scott Axelrod)Emergency response
Detectives roped off the front porch of the home at 380 Cary Ave., as well as the sidewalk near the residence.
The front door of the two-story home was open Monday evening.
An NYPD vehicle and a Crime Scene Unit van were parked in front of the home. Officials from the medical examiner’s office were also at the location.
An investigator wearing white protective coveralls was seen on the porch inspecting the scene for evidence.
An investigator inspects the front porch of the home at Cary Avenue.(Advance/SILive.com | Scott Axelrod)‘It’s a shock’
Another resident said he didn’t know the family well but occasionally saw a young woman and young man at the residence.
He said he never saw any signs of trouble at the home.
“It’s a shock,” he told reporters.
Homicides at historic low
Staten Island has seen a historic low in homicides in 2025.
Through Sept. 28, just two were recorded in the borough.
That represents the lowest figure at this time of the year since the NYPD created its CompStat system in 1993.
This is a breaking news story. Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.
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