Katie Suarez was simply out for her usual evening run when a trip along a Brooklyn waterfront path turned deadly. The 28-year-old was attacked and stabbed multiple times in the neck while jogging along the Shore Parkway Greenway in Bath Beach, Brooklyn, on October 30. Her father later found her bleeding heavily along the path. Now, a 27-year-old New York City school aide has been arrested and charged with her murder following a weeklong investigation.
Police identified the suspect as Sayed Mohassib, a Department of Education employee who worked as a school aide at P.S. 200, an elementary school in Bath Beach. He was arrested on November 7 and charged with second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and criminal possession of a weapon. He was arraigned and ordered held without bail as the case moved forward.
Suarez had been following her regular running routine after leaving work that evening. She worked at a nearby bank and had planned to meet her parents after finishing her run. At around 7:56 p.m., she spoke with her father by phone and told him she was about half a mile away. When she failed to show up, her father went looking for her along the waterfront path.
He found his daughter unconscious beneath a tree, suffering from serious wounds to her neck. Emergency responders rushed her to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn, where doctors treated her for the injuries. Despite their efforts, Suarez died three days after the attack. The city’s medical examiner determined that her death was caused by a stab wound to the neck.
Investigators spent several days trying to identify the person responsible. Surveillance footage allegedly showed Mohassib walking toward the running path before the attack and running away afterward. Other footage reportedly showed him returning to his apartment and later coming outside in his underwear before throwing items into a garbage chute. Detectives also found what appeared to be blood inside his apartment, according to court documents.
Some of the most troubling details emerged after Mohassib was questioned. According to the criminal complaint, he told investigators he had gone to the waterfront carrying a knife because he believed people were coming to kill his family. He also allegedly said he had no clear memory of the stabbing. Police sources previously reported that he claimed to have blacked out and later found himself covered in blood.
Court documents further allege that Mohassib discarded the knife and bloody clothing and tried to clean blood from his apartment. The weapon had not been recovered in the initial reports. Prosecutors are relying on surveillance footage, physical evidence and statements allegedly made by the suspect as the investigation continues.
Mohassib’s employment history has also drawn attention. He previously served briefly with the NYPD before resigning in December 2022 to join the military. He later attempted to return to the police department, but his request was reportedly denied following a psychological evaluation. Local elected officials also said he was discharged from the Marines on psychiatric grounds.
Mohassib was still working at P.S. 200 after Suarez was attacked and remained employed there until his arrest. The Department of Education confirmed that he had been suspended and said it would move to terminate his employment. The agency also said it was providing support and resources to the school community.
The arrest has raised questions about how Mohassib was hired by the school system and how he remained employed despite his previous history with the police and military. City Council Member Kayla Santosuosso, State Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Assembly Member-elect Chris McCreight have called for a full investigation into his hiring and continued employment.
For Suarez’s family, the case began with a simple evening run that never ended as planned. Her father had expected to meet her after she finished exercising. Instead, he found her badly wounded along a familiar neighborhood path. Investigators have yet to publicly establish a motive or determine whether Mohassib and Suarez knew each other. The murder case remains ongoing.
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