The former NYPD officer charged in the fatal stabbing of a Brooklyn jogger had previously been deemed psychologically unfit for military service and discharged by the Marines.
Sayed Mohassib, 27, is accused of killing 28-year-old Katie Suarez on October 30 near Bay 17th Street and Shore Parkway in Bath Beach, New York.
Detectives initially investigated whether Mohassib and Suarez had crossed paths at Brooklyn College, which both attended. However, the NYPD told Our News Outlet that investigators have found no indication the pair knew one another or had any connection.
Suarez had been preparing for the New York City Marathon when she was attacked. She was later declared brain dead and kept on life support as doctors recovered her organs, according to the New York Post.
Her pancreas, liver, kidneys and heart were donated, giving five people a chance at life this week.
Police identified Mohassib after surveillance video allegedly showed him leaving the Shore Parkway Greenway soon after the attack. He had briefly worked for the NYPD after leaving the Marines, where he had been discharged on grounds of psychological unfitness.
Mohassib later sought to return to the police department but was rejected. He then took a job as a teacher’s aide at PS 200 in Bensonhurst through the city Department of Education.
The Department of Education confirmed that Mohassib has been suspended and said it would pursue his termination as the criminal case moves forward.
Sayed Mohassib, 27, is accused of fatally stabbing Katie Suarez, 28, on October 30 near Bay 17th Street and Shore Parkway in Bath Beach, New York
Sayed Mohassib has been arraigned on charges including second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and criminal possession of a weapon
According to the outlet, Mohassib told officers at the 62nd Precinct that he could not remember the attack. He allegedly said he woke up covered in blood with the suspected murder weapon still in his possession.
Several hours later, officers escorted Mohassib from the Bensonhurst station in handcuffs. He appeared expressionless as he was led away around 4 p.m. ahead of his arraignment Saturday evening.
During the hearing, prosecutors said blood belonging to Suarez had been found splashed across the walls of Mohassib’s Bensonhurst apartment, the New York Post reported.
Assistant District Attorney Jordan Rossman told the court that the defendant had said he tried to clean up the blood.
Mohassib faces charges of second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and criminal possession of a weapon.
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He was ordered detained and is scheduled to return to court on November 10.
The killing has left Suarez’s relatives, friends and neighbors grieving.
Her mother, Yasira Suarez, confirmed that her daughter died several days after the stabbing.
Katie Suarez, 28, was jogging along a popular Brooklyn waterfront promenade when she was stabbed in the neck
The waterfront path where the attack occurred is a popular destination for walkers, cyclists and fishermen in southern Brooklyn
Sayed Mohassib, 27, has been charged with second-degree murder
“Destroyed. We’re all destroyed,” Yasira Suarez said. “You took an angel.”
Suarez’s father had gone searching for her when he found his daughter gravely wounded and bleeding in a nearby grassy area.
The bank teller was taken to NYU Langone Hospital in critical condition. The severity of her injuries became apparent when doctors later declared her brain dead.
Local resident Anna Dece said she was struggling to process the violence, particularly because it happened so close to home.
“I’m very sad. That’s terrible. I’m sad for everybody,” she said. “But this is close. It’s too much right now. It’s a mad world.”
The attack took place along the Bath Beach waterfront, a quiet residential area in southern Brooklyn where people regularly walk, ride bicycles and exercise beside the shoreline.
The section near Shore Parkway overlooks Gravesend Bay and connects with a broader network of recreational paths stretching along Brooklyn’s coast.
Suarez had been training for the New York City Marathon scheduled for Sunday when she was attacked and killed.
