Man Charged With Murder in Deadly Stabbing of Brooklyn Runner
Sayed Mohassib, a 27-year-old New York City Department of Education employee and former police officer, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of 28-year-old runner Katie Suarez along a Brooklyn waterfront path, according to 6abc.com.
Arrest Along the Shore Parkway Greenway
The case began on October 30, 2026, when Suarez was attacked while running eastbound along the Shore Parkway Greenway near Bay 17th Street in the Bath Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn. FOX 5 NY reported that Suarez was training to compete in the TCS New York City Marathon. Investigators said she was stabbed on both sides of her neck around 8 p.m. Prior to beginning her solo run later that night, Suarez spent time with her mother near her workplace. Her father, who had arranged to join them, was talking to her on the phone right before the attack occurred. When her parents suddenly lost contact with her, they went looking along her running route, and her father ultimately found her lying on the path and called 911, as FOX 5 NY reported.
Emergency medical crews rushed Suarez to NYU Langone Health. She was placed on life support in critical condition before succumbing to her injuries. Detectives pursued leads in what was initially described by authorities as an apparent random assault, conducting extensive searches and repeatedly appealing to the public for help.
Detectives Trace Discarded Knife to Staten Island Landfill
Detectives developed evidence placing Mohassib at the scene of the attack, leading to his arrest at his New York City home. According to information obtained by 6abc.com, Mohassib made statements linking himself to the killing. Investigators shared that he mentioned having no recollection of the homicide while remembering being covered in blood, and law enforcement contends that he threw away the weapon utilized in the assault, which investigators subsequently tracked down at a Staten Island waste facility. Police noted that the only known connection between Mohassib and Suarez is that both attended Brooklyn College.
FOX 5 NY confirmed that Mohassib is charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence, and criminal possession of a weapon, while 6abc.com specified the second-degree murder charge.
School Suspends Teacher Aide Following Arrest
Police sources told FOX 5 NY that Mohassib previously worked for the NYPD for one month in 2022 before resigning to join the Marines. Following his discharge from the military, he sought to rejoin the NYPD, but was sent to Bellevue Hospital for a mental health evaluation and ultimately did not return to the force, based on reporting by 6abc.com. Most recently, he was employed as a teacher’s aide at P.S. 200 in Bensonhurst.
The New York City Department of Education released a statement addressing the arrest:
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 arrest. We are supporting the NYPD in their investigation however is needed.
FOX 5 NY reported a slightly varied phrasing from the DOE statement regarding the termination timeline, noting the department would move to terminate employment pending the outcome of the conviction.