Brooklyn man accused of stabbing jogger Katie Suarez faces grand jury indictment
Sayed Mohassib, 27, is expected to be indicted by a Brooklyn grand jury for the fatal stabbing of jogger Katie Suarez on 30 October.
Grand jury set to indict suspect in fatal Brooklyn jogging path stabbing
A Brooklyn grand jury is expected to return an indictment as early as Tuesday against Sayed Mohassib, 27, the man accused of fatally stabbing jogger Katie Suarez, abc7ny.com reports.
Mohassib faces charges of second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Authorities allege he stabbed Suarez, 28, on 30 October while she was running near Shore Parkway and Bay 17th Street in Brooklyn. Suarez's family testified before the grand jury on Monday.
Mohassib was arrested on Saturday. At the time of his arrest, he was employed as a teacher's aide at P.S. 200. The Department of Education suspended him following the arrest and officially terminated his employment on Monday.
According to court documents, Mohassib told detectives he went to the bike path carrying a knife because he believed people were planning to kill his family. His mother told Eyewitness News that her son had been in and out of psychiatric hospitals.
Records show Mohassib was first hired by the Department of Education in 2019 as an hourly support staff member. He joined the NYPD in 2022 and later spent a short time in the Marine Corps before leaving. In 2023 he attempted to rejoin the NYPD but was denied and sent to Bellevue Hospital. He was rehired by the Department of Education in 2024 as a substitute teacher's aide.
The case has prompted questions from parents and city officials about how Mohassib was permitted to work in a school environment given his history. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he has directed his administration to conduct a full review of the circumstances surrounding Mohassib's employment within the city's school system.
"Nothing is more paramount than the safety of our students," Mamdani said, adding that counselling and support services are being made available to students and families at P.S. 200.
The Department of Education said it conducts background checks on all employees and is examining whether its hiring processes can be strengthened. Mohassib remains in custody as the criminal case moves forward.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)