A Chilean tourist faces murder and assault charges after allegedly killing a bystander with a fire extinguisher during a violent outburst at a Florida hotel. On January 10, the The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of Piero Estefano But-Castillo, 25, at a Quality Inn in Kissimmee.
Officers responded to a 911 call on Jan. 8 about a man who had been attacked with a fire extinguisher, stomped on and kicked. Sheriff Marcos Lopez stated that deputies arrived around 4 p.m. and found But-Castillo still beating 55-year-old Robert Krusinowski. López explained during a press conference that the attack began after hotel staff asked But-Castillo to leave, as his stay was over. he told WKRC.
“In an effort to calm him down, our victim, Mr. Robert Krusinowski, a 55-year-old man, was unarmed, just trying to calm the situation,” Lopez said. “However, our suspect got angry and just punched him. Beat him to death. “It was a brutal beating with a fire extinguisher.”
Court records reveal But-Castillo vandalized hotel property, including the window of an occupied room, during the rampage. After climbing through the broken window and being forced out, he resumed the attack on Krusinowski. Much of the assault was captured on a hotel resident’s cell phone.
Krusinowski, a longtime resident of the hotel who often helped with maintenance, suffered a severe head injury. Despite first aid efforts by fire personnel, he died at the scene. “These savage attacks are not going to go unpunished here,” López said, condemning the brutality of the incident.
But Castillo, who first entered the United States from Chile in 2019 as a student and returned on a tourist visa on Jan. 1, 2024, is being held without bail in the Osceola County Jail. He faces charges of first-degree murder, resisting an officer with violence, assault on specific personnel and criminal mischief exceeding $1,000. An immigration hold has also been placed on him.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate and work with the Chilean government to gather more information about But-Castillo. Lopez urged the public to call 911 rather than intervene in volatile situations. “Let’s take this into our hands and make the arrest,” he advised. “It’s better if you don’t get involved. “You don’t know who you’re dealing with… In this case, it cost the victim his life.”