OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A man arrested in Osceola County is accused of killing someone at a hotel by kicking him, stomping on his head and using a fire extinguisher to beat him.
Piero Estefano But-Castillo, 25, faces charges of first-degree murder, resisting an officer with violence, battery on specified personnel and criminal mischief of $1,000 or more, booking records show.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office responded around 4 p.m. Wednesday to the Quality Inn along Entry Point Boulevard, where deputies located Castillo repeatedly striking a victim later identified as 55-year-old Robert Krusinowski, according to the affidavit for Castillo’s arrest warrant. Noting his hands were covered in blood, deputies said Castillo wedged his legs against railings along the hotel stairway while being detained, the affidavit states.
Krusinowski, seen to have suffered significant trauma to his head, face, and neck, was pronounced dead at the scene within the hour despite resuscitation efforts by Osceola County Fire Rescue, according to the document.
Witnesses told investigators that Castillo had been seen smashing hotel property, including a window to a room that he allegedly broke, entered, and was forced out of prior to the fatal beating, the affidavit states. Employees told detectives that Castillo was staying at the hotel until Wednesday, when he was made to check out and was not allowed to extend his stay, according to the document.
“He’s a Chilian national who was staying at the hotel for a time and was asked to leave by hotel staff. He lost his temper and began breaking items,” Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez said during a Friday news conference.
Detectives said a witness’ cell phone footage showed Castillo stomping on Krusinowski’s head while the victim appeared motionless and lifeless, adding surveillance footage showed “what appears to be Castillo breaking room windows on the third floor, slamming Krusinowski to the ground, repeatedly battering him, dragging him through the breezeway, continuing to stomp on and batter him, disengaging, then re-engaging with the violent attack which led to Krusinowski’s death,” the affidavit states.
“[Mr. Robert Krusinowski] was unarmed just trying to de-escalate the situation. However, our suspect, it angered him and just beat him, beat him to death. It was a brutal beating with the fire extinguisher.” said Lopez.
Castillo waived his first appearance in court Friday morning, records show. He’s being held on no bond amount and an immigration hold.
According to Lopez, But-Castillo entered the United States in 2019 as a non-immigrant student then left. On Jan. 1, But-Castillo returned to Florida on a 90-day tourist visa.
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