A 60-year-old father who was attacked and beaten for 18 minutes during a robbery outside a New York supermarket on Christmas morning has died from his injuries.
‘He wasn’t supposed to go out like this. He was supposed to see me graduate from college and walk me down the aisle and see my first real career,” the victim’s daughter, Amanda, said through tears.
Michael DiCesare’s family confirmed he died on Sunday from injuries sustained during a brutal attack in the early morning hours of Christmas Day.
Rochester police said the attack happened shortly before 1 a.m. on December 25 at the corner of Bay Street and Portland Avenue. WAM. His family said the father of two was likely walking and stopped for a snack when the robbery occurred.
DiCesare was found with life-threatening injuries and taken to Strong Memorial Hospital, where he remained until his family made the heartbreaking decision to take him off life support.
Michael DiCesare (left), pictured with his sister Julie Arellano (center) and brother David DiCesare (right) died Sunday from injuries sustained in a brutal Christmas morning attack
Michael’s daughter, Amanda DiCesare (pictured), said: “He wasn’t supposed to go out like that, he was supposed to see me graduate from college and walk me down the aisle.”
“I’m really going to miss making him laugh and telling him about my day at work,” Amanda told WHAM.
‘My father was always a very, very stubborn person. So I know I can’t feel sorry for myself all day and he would want me to move on and not let this weigh me down.”
She said her father was a chef for 30 years and they had a shared passion for cooking and music.
“He and I shared a love of collecting records and he even gave me his old speakers and turntables to use for my own collection,” Amanda said.
‘He bought me my very first vinyl record when I was thirteen, and ever since then, whenever we could get together and I had saved up my pocket money, we would go to the House of Guitars of Record Archive and look around and he ‘would tell me something about learning the old albums.”
Two men, Brucewayne Beaman, 22, and Guy Mustgray II, 33, have been arrested and charged in connection with the attack.
They are accused of approaching DiCesare on the street and attempting to rob him Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
One of the men reportedly showed a gun and the other showed ‘an edged weapon’ which they used to beat the 60-year-old for 18 minutes before taking his belongings from his pockets.
“I’m assuming he was just walking, maybe went to the convenience store to get something to eat or drink or whatever, and then walked home,” Michael’s brother David said. “So, just the wrong place at the wrong time.”
After police found Michael, he was taken to the hospital with severe traumatic brain injuries and required a breathing tube.
“In the beginning and for the first two or three weeks there was always hope that he would wake up,” David said.
Amanda said her father was a chef for 30 years and they had a shared passion for cooking and music. Michael DiCesare pictured with his wife and children
Michael’s (pictured) brother, David DiCesare, said: ‘He was a caring person. He was cheerful. He liked to joke
‘The more we talked to the doctors, the more that hope faded. “We, me, my sister, Mike’s wife Karrie and her children decided as a group that it would be best for him to just let him go peacefully, rather than trying to keep him on a ventilator.”
David said: “He was a caring person. He was cheerful. He liked to joke.”
Amanda said on Facebook: ‘Yesterday was honestly the worst day of my life. It’s hard to put this into words, even though I’ve had to do it several times. My father is dead. I’ll never see him again. I can’t describe the feeling I got when I heard the news; it was like being hit by a truck. It hurts incredibly much.’
Michael’s sister, Julie Arellano, who posted frequent updates on his condition, said, “I am heartbroken to share that my brother Michael DiCesare has passed away from his injuries.”
‘I can’t believe my big brother is gone. It doesn’t feel real and has no meaning. He was only 60 years old. He was meant to grow old with Dave and me. I don’t know if I’ll ever feel whole again.’
“I pray he is at peace. All I know now is that my heart is not at peace. It’s shattered into a million pieces,” Arellano said.
Beaman and Mustgray were arrested Jan. 31 and charged with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, first-degree robbery and fourth-degree grand larceny.
Two men, Brucewayne Beaman, 22, and Guy Mustgray II, 33, have been arrested and charged in connection with the attack outside a Rochester supermarket (pictured)
‘The two men who robbed and beat my brother Mike to death have been officially arrested. It was dramatic, as the two men were in hiding, but the Rochester Police Department and Detective Eliud Rodriguez in particular worked tirelessly to gather the evidence they needed to find and arrest them,” Arellano said.
“They will be charged with multiple charges, including attempted murder; which will be elevated to murder once Mike dies.”
The men were taken to the Monroe County Jail. Beaman is being held on $100,000 bail or $500,000 bond and Mustgray is being held in lieu of $25,000 bail or $150,000 bond, court records show.
“Hopefully they might be locked up for the rest of their lives, but for everyone in my entire family, we have to live without him for the rest of our entire lives,” David said.