DOE school aide charged with murder in stabbing of Brooklyn jogger Katie Suarez, sources say
Detectives say Sayed Mohassib, 27, who also briefly served as an NYPD officer, was arrested Saturday for allegedly attacking Suarez while she was on a run along the Shore Parkway Greenway in Bath Beach.
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A New York City Department of Education School Aide was arrested Saturday for allegedly attacking 28-year-old jogger Katie Suarez while she was on a run along the Shore Parkway Greenway in Bath Beach, according to police and sources.
Sayed Mohassib, 27, is charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence and criminal possession of a weapon. Sources close to the investigation tell News 12 that Mohassib briefly served as an NYPD officer and in the United States military.
According to the NYPD, Mohassib allegedly stabbed Suarez in the neck multiple times on the evening of Oct. 30. Paramedics rushed her to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn in critical condition, where she later died from her injuries, according to State Sen. Steve Chan, who announced her death in a Facebook post Tuesday.
Sources close to the investigation told News 12 that Mohassib worked as a school aide at P.S. 200 in Bath Beach, where he continued to work after the attack, up until his arrest.
Council Member Kayla Santosuosso, State Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assembly Member-elect Chris McCreight released a joint statement on Facebook Saturday, stating Mohassib's employment with the New York City Department of Education (DOE) "raises serious questions about how he came to be employed in a public school and warrants a full investigation into the circumstances of his hiring and continued employment."
Law enforcement sources say Mohassib resigned from the NYPD in December 2022 to join the military. Just over a year later, sources say Mohassib requested reinstatement to the NYPD, but the department denied his request after a psychological evaluation.
In that same statement, local leaders described Mohassib as "evidently a mentally disturbed man with no criminal record, but who was an ex-NYPD officer and ex-Marine who was discharged from the military on psychiatric grounds."
The tragic attack shocked New Yorkers and prompted a week-long manhunt for Suarez’s killer.
At the crime scene, detectives combed through tall grass, used drones and searched by boat near the water for evidence. Police also urged ride-share drivers with dashcams who were in the area at the time of the attack to come forward.
A DOE spokesperson said it is providing support and resources to the P.S. 200 community and released the following statement.
"The safety of our students is our very top priority. We have suspended this individual and will move to terminate employment pending the outcome of the conviction. We are supporting the NYPD in their investigation however is needed.”
The relationship between Mohassib and Suarez and a potential motive for the attack were not immediately known.
