Abandoned Staten Island hospital to be torn down after teen falls to death down elevator shaft

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (WABC) -- Preliminary demolition begins Wednesday on the abandoned hospital where a teenager fell seven stories to his death last week in an elevator shaft.

Marcos Castillo, 16, died Friday after he and four other teens were playing inside the building. There will be a wake Wednesday night for the 16-year-old and a funeral Mass Wednesday morning.

Family members have set up a memorial for Castillo at the site.

Investigators said Castillo died of severe head trauma at the abandoned hospital on Castleton Avenue in New Brighton. Neighbors said the building, once Staten Island Hospital, has been closed off since 1992 and is now considered an eyesore.

An emergency order to demolish it was issued eight months ago, but a permit wasn't issued until after his death. Now Castillo's family wants to know why a permit to demolish the eight-story structure took so long. The demolition will take four to six months to complete.

People who live in the area say it is no secret that teens make their way beyond fences and into the building, known as a hangout spot.

After Castillo's death, construction workers put up a fence in front of the property.