Ex-NYPD Officer Arraigned After Stabbing Brooklyn Jogger
Sayed Mohassib, a former police officer and school aide, told investigators he feared for his family's safety before the Oct. 30 killing of Katie Suarez.
By Elena Perry ·
The murder of a Brooklyn jogger has revealed a complex web of institutional history and mental health concerns surrounding the suspect. Sayed Mohassib, 27, was arraigned Saturday and ordered held without bail in connection with the death of Katie Suarez, 28.
Suarez was stabbed twice in the neck while jogging along the Belt Parkway on Oct. 30. Investigators linked Mohassib to the scene through surveillance video that showed him walking toward the location and later running away from it. A combination of facial recognition software and existing government records, including fingerprints and photos from his brief employment, allowed authorities to identify him.
Mohassib previously served with the New York Police Department for approximately six weeks before leaving to join the U.S. Marine Corps. Sources indicate he was rejected by the military unit due to concerns regarding his mental state. He later attempted to rejoin the NYPD but was turned down after appearing disheveled and displaying other disturbing signs during the process.
At the time of the slaying, Mohassib was working as a paraprofessional aide for the city public schools. Following his arrest, he told detectives he went to the park that day because he believed people were coming to kill his family. Court documents state he claimed to leave for the Verrazzano Bridge, then return to sit on a bench where he became covered in blood on his jacket and pants.
The suspect maintained to investigators that he did not stab anyone. He later ran back to his home in Bensonhurst and emerged 15 minutes later wearing only underwear. He told officers he discarded the bloody clothing and the knife, leading detectives to search a sanitation barge for the murder weapon. He also acknowledged getting blood in his apartment and attempting to clean it, though the walls of his room were found splattered.
The city Board of Education did not respond to a request for comment Sunday. A woman speaking through the door at Mohassib's home declined to elaborate, stating, "I am in very deep pain right now. I don't want to talk."
Mohassib remains in custody pending further proceedings in the case.
