Former NYPD officer charged with second-degree murder in Brooklyn jogger stabbing
Former NYPD officer Sayed Mohassib was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, as well as weapons and evidence offenses, in the fatal stabbing of jogger Katie Suarez in Brooklyn.
Former New York Police Department officer Sayed Mohassib was taken into custody at the 62nd Precinct on Saturday after being charged with second-degree murder in the October 30 stabbing death of 28-year-old jogger Katie Suarez on the Shore Parkway Greenway. He also faces charges of criminal possession of a weapon and tampering with physical evidence.
According to court filings, Mohassib told investigators that he awoke covered in blood and could not recall the attack, and that he later discarded the knife in a garbage container. Police have not disclosed a motive or any prior relationship between the suspect and the victim.
Suarez was jogging along the Brooklyn waterfront around 8 p.m. when she was stabbed in the neck. She was found in critical condition by her parents, who had been trying to locate her after a phone call was cut off, and later died at a hospital.
Mohassib, 27, previously served briefly with the NYPD before leaving for the Marine Corps, where he was deemed unfit for service. He most recently worked as a public-school aide. The New York City Department of Education confirmed that he has been suspended and will be terminated if convicted.
The NYPD said it is cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation.