By Michael del Castillo
The Brooklyn actor who allegedly stabbed his mother to death last week will be arraigned tomorrow morning at the Kings County Supreme Court, says Brooklyn’s District Attorney.
Michael Brea, 31, was arrested November 23 at 501 Park Place where his mother, Yannick Brea, 55, was found dead of stab wounds. Brea was taken to Kings County Hospital for psychiatric evaluations, prior to be turned over to police custody.
New details have emerged about the circumstances of the gruesome death. The District Attorney’s office has denied earlier reports that Brea was decapitated, saying that according to court documents she was stabbed and slashed by a sword.
Marcel L. Brea, Michael’s father, is the president of the Haitian American Martial Arts Network. The elder Brea says he has not heard from his son since the murder and is awaiting word from his family’s lawyers before speaking further.
Clinton Claire, 52, lived below the apartment where Yannick Brea lived with her twin sons, Michael and Marcel. Claire said that on the day of the murder Michael’s father, dropped him off at the Park Place apartment after attending a Free Mason meeting. Claire’s brother, Gregory, said he overheard shouting from the apartment around the time of the killing.
“I heard this wild screaming, ‘Repent, repent, sinner, sinner. You never accepted Jesus.” Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly originally called the murder weapon a samurai sword, the DA’s office now believes the sword used in the crime is a ceremonial Masonic sword which may have been stolen from a local temple.
Mrs. Brea attended the St. Teresa of Avila Church around the corner from her home. Reverend Saint Charles Borno said that she sometimes attended services at his church, but was not a registered member. Borno said he spoke with Marcel Brea the day after the killing to offer him spiritual counseling. He declined to comment on the religious statements allegedly coming from the Brea apartment at the time of the killing.
The night of her death Mrs. Brea spoke for approximately a half hour with Mustafa Nashul, 33, who works at the Park Place Deli, near her home. Nashul said they didn’t speak about anything in particular, just “normal life.” He said of her murder, “I’m not mad she died. Everybody dies. I’m mad she was screaming in her room and nobody helped her.”
Nashul had known Mrs. Brea for 20 years. He said he sold her a lotto ticket almost everyday. Nashul described her as being “tight” with money and said she kept her lotto ticket purchases a secret from her twin boys.
According to Haitian film website, www.belfim.com, Brea had bit parts in the now cancelled T.V. show Ugly Betty and the movie Step Up 3D.
Brea has been charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. He is currently being held at Rikers Island.
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