A former New York Police Department officer was arrested in connection with the death of Katie Suarez, who was fatally stabbed in the neck while jogging in her Brooklyn neighborhood.
The New York City Police Department confirmed to Us that Sayed Mohassib was arrested on Saturday, November 7, and was charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence and criminal possession of a weapon.
Authorities identified Mohassib, 27, as a suspect after investigators reviewed surveillance footage of the area around the time of the attack, according to NBC News.
The footage allegedly showed Mohassib throwing out trash bags near his residence on the night that Suarez, 28, was killed.
Mohassib allegedly told authorities that he did not remember attacking Suarez though recalled realizing he was covered in blood after the attack, according to NBC News.
It’s not currently clear if Mohassib has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest. The New York Police Department had no additional updates to share when contacted by Us about the case.
Mohassib was employed as a school aide at an elementary school in Brooklyn at the time of his arrest. A student at the school Mohassib worked at told the New York Post that he was acting “off” in the week leading up to the murder.
“He was acting a little bit, like, I don’t know, weird. A bit off,” the student claimed.
Two other students also spoke to the outlet and claimed that they saw Mohassib talking to himself, while one of the students said that he seemed “nervous” and “worried.”
Following Mohassib’s arrest, the New York City Department of Education confirmed to People that the suspect was an employee of the district.
“The safety of our students is our very top priority,” the representative said in a statement. “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 representative added that the department is “providing support and resources to the school community.”
Prior to his role with the school district, Mohassib worked as an employee of the NYPD in 2022. He only served in the role for about a month before requesting to be transferred to the military, a police source told NBC News. The source added that Mohassib was ultimately discharged from military service due to mental health concerns.
Mohassib reportedly requested to rejoin the NYPD in January 2023, but was denied just weeks later.
As Us previously reported, Suarez was jogging on October 30 near a Brooklyn waterfront path on Shore Parkway when she was stabbed two times in the neck around 8:15 p.m. in a seemingly random attack.
Her parents set out to find her when they were unable to get in contact with her, and Suarez was taken to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn for treatment once she was found injured. Suarez succumbed to her injuries three days after the attack.
