'Ugly Betty' actor stabs mom to death with a samurai sword

[News_Editor]

'Ugly Betty' actor stabs mom to death with a samurai sword

2010-11-24 03:14:18 GMT+7 (ICT)

BROOKYLN, NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- An actor that appeared in the acclaimed 'Ugly Betty' television series on Tuesday savagely stabbed his mother to death with a samurai sword after a religious rant, local media reported quoting police.

Michael Brea, 31, was screaming Bible passages and ordered his mother repeatedly to repent from her sins before killing her with a samurai sword. The victim, Yannick Brea, 55, was found dead and decapitated when police officers entered the apartment.

The Haitian-American actor appeared in a short stint in the TV series 'Ugly Betty' and neighbors and close friends describe him as a pacific individual, martial arts lover and rising actor. He was taken to the Kings County Hospital for a psychiatric exam after his arrest.

At about 1:30 a.m. local time, a neighbor called 911 after hearing screams coming out of Brea's second-floor apartment. The caller informed the police that there was visible blood in one of the windows. Meanwhile the law enforcement agents arrived, neighbors heard more rants from Brea and calls for help from the victim.

"Michael was yelling, 'Repent, repent, sinner, sinner,' over and over again," Gregory Clarke, the son of the building owner said. "He was screaming, 'You never accepted Jesus.' It was real loud."

After the police forces arrived on early Tuesday, neighbors reportedly still heard screams from the victim and Brea continued with his religious rants. However, despite having permission from the owner to kick the door down, police officers did not entered the apartment and kept knocking on the door.

"I could hear her groaning inside. She was still alive, but they wouldn't go in," said Clinton Clare who lives under the actor’s apartment.

"They just kept saying protocol this and protocol that," Clare said "Now a woman's dead who should be alive if only the police would have listened."

Raymond Kelly, NYPD Commissioner, said that despite the civilian critics his officers acted properly. He clarified that in the barricade situations, patrol officers are urged to wait, if possible, for the Emergency Services forces to arrive.

The Emergency Services forces arrived at about 2:20 a.m., approximately one hour after the call, when they finally entered the apartment they found Brea clutching the bible and talking nonsense. Her mother was found hacked and decapitated. Officers described the scene as "extremely bloody."

Yannick Brea was a 9/11 survivor as she worked at the Marriott hotel that was located in the World Trade Center. Her son Michael, had never before shown signs of mental illness or violent tendencies.

In addition to 'Ugly Betty,' the Haitian-American actor appeared in the movie 'Step-Up 3-D' and starred in a campaign for the energy drink Full Throttle.

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