Brennan Doyle: NJ mom recalls chilling last words of teen who stabbed her while ‘high on mushrooms’
MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY: Donna Ongsiako, a New Jersey mom, described the terrifying stabbing incident and the last words spoken by a random teenager, allegedly "high on mushrooms," who invaded her Colts Neck farmhouse in 2013.
"He said, 'you dead b***h' and plunged the knife into my chest," Ongsiako recounted to CBS. Identified as then-16-year-old Brennan Doyle, the assailant's actions left Ongsiako with severe injuries, prompting a lengthy legal battle that culminated in Doyle's sentencing to 15 years in prison in 2015.
Insights into gruesome stabbing
The traumatic incident unfolded on July 7, 2013, around midnight, when Ongsiako was alone at home while her adult daughter was attending a party.
Moments before retiring for the night, she encountered a stranger wielding a knife on her porch. Despite her attempts to secure the door, the assailant forced his way in.
"I tried to slam and shut the door. He stuck the knife through the opening, and I cut my finger so that I immediately let go of the door. And then he pushed his way in," seh said, reported Daily Mail.
After repeatedly stabbing her, the assailant demanded her car keys and a lighter before callously uttering the haunting phrase, "you dead b***h", and plunged the knife into her chest.
Despite the trauma, Ongsiako managed to alert authorities, ultimately leading to Doyle's apprehension.
Further, Ongsiako underwent a seven-hour surgery at the hospital. Despite her ordeal, she provided a detailed description of her attacker to the police, describing him as approximately 17 years old with long blonde curly hair and carrying a backpack.
Brennan Doyle spotted acting erratically soon after the attack
Following the incident, Monmouth County Detective Andrea Tozzi received a call from employees at a nearby Taco Bell reporting a young man with a knife walking through the drive-through and knocking on windows. With the help of a customer, the police created a sketch, leading them to discover Ongsiako's stolen car abandoned behind a movie theater.
A tip subsequently led officers to 16-year-old Doyle, who matched the description provided, and was reported to have recently cut his long hair. Police confronted him at his residence at the end of July. "I wanted to see if [Brennan] cut his hair. He was wearing a baseball hat. You could tell his hair was cut short," Tozzi recalled
Tozzi recalled checking if Doyle had indeed cut his hair, noting that he was wearing a baseball hat, which revealed his hair was now cut short. Later, workers at the mall where Ongsiako's car was found discovered a knife on the roof of the bowling alley. A similar knife was found in Doyle's home, leading to his arrest.
What charges did Brennan Doyle face?
Doyle faced six charges, including attempted murder and carjacking. Initially pleading not guilty, he later changed his plea to guilty for carjacking and attempted murder. The prosecution dropped the remaining charges.
Throughout the trial, Doyle attributed his actions to consuming psychedelic mushrooms, claiming they transformed him into a "monster". Expressing remorse, he stated, "The drugs turned me into a monster that night, I am truly sorry."
Despite Doyle's remorse, he was sentenced to 15 years in state prison.
