BROOKLYN JOGGER, 28, STABBED TWICE IN THE NECK MINUTES AFTER TELLING HER PARENTS SHE WAS ONLY HALF A MILE AWAY
Katie Suarez was attacked while running along a waterfront path in New York. Her father later found her after she failed to arrive at their meeting point, and police are still searching for the attacker.
BROOKLYN, New York — A 28-year-old woman remains on life support after being stabbed twice in the neck while jogging along a waterfront path in Brooklyn, in an attack that happened just minutes after she spoke to her parents.
Katie Suarez was running along the Shore Parkway Greenway in the Bath Beach neighbourhood on Friday evening, October 30, when she was attacked.
The young bank teller had reportedly been planning to meet her parents after her run. During a phone call at around 8 p.m., she told her father she was approximately half a mile away.
It would be the last time her parents heard from her before the attack.
HER FATHER FOUND HER AFTER SHE FAILED TO ARRIVE
Katie had finished work at a TD Bank branch earlier that evening and met her mother near the workplace at around 6:30 p.m.
According to reports citing law-enforcement sources, meeting after her shift was a regular family routine. Her father was running late, so Katie decided to go for a solo run while waiting.
She headed along the Belt Parkway waterfront path, a route she reportedly knew well.
At approximately 8 p.m., her father called to arrange where they would meet. Katie told him she was about half a mile away and expected to arrive within minutes.
When she failed to show up, her parents called again. This time, she did not answer.
They began searching for their daughter, splitting up to cover more ground.
Her father eventually found Katie near Bay 17th Street and Shore Parkway, suffering from two stab wounds to her neck, one on each side.
He desperately asked a passer-by to call 911.
SHE RAN BEFORE COLLAPSING
According to information reported by the New York Post, Katie managed to run approximately 100 feet after the attack before collapsing.
Emergency medical personnel rushed her to NYU Langone Hospital, where she was placed on life support.
Reports about her precise medical condition have differed. The New York Post, citing law-enforcement sources, reported that she had been declared brain-dead, while other outlets and police statements described her condition as ᑕriᩚtiᩚcal or grave.
The family and hospital have not publicly confirmed a definitive medical update in the reports reviewed.
POLICE BELIEVE THE ATTACK MAY HAVE BEEN RANDOM
Investigators are working to establish who attacked Katie and why.
According to sources cited by the New York Post, her pink mobile phone and jewellery were still with her when she was found, and investigators had not identified evidence suggesting robbery or a 𝘴єxual motive.
Police have not confirmed an official motive, and no suspect has been publicly identified.
The NYPD has deployed specialist teams, including aviation units, K-9 officers, drones and scuba divers, as detectives search for evidence and review the surrounding area.
A $10,000 reward has also been announced for information leading to the person responsible.
POLICE APPEAL FOR WITNESSES
Detectives are asking anyone who was in the area on Friday evening to come forward.
Investigators are particularly interested in information from people who were near the eastbound bike path along the Belt Parkway, between Bay 8th Street and Bay 17th Street, between approximately 7:56 p.m. and 8:12 p.m. on October 30.
Authorities are also appealing to drivers who may have been travelling along the nearby Belt Parkway around the time of the attack.
Anyone with information can contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). Spanish-language tips can be made at 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
REMEMBERED AS A KIND AND DEDICATED WOMAN
Katie worked as a bank teller and had reportedly been training for the New York City Marathon.
Neighbours described her as exceptionally kind and someone with a good character. The attack has left people in the surrounding community shocked, particularly those who regularly use the popular waterfront route.
The New York City Marathon community also expressed sympathy for Katie’s family and the wider running community.
For her parents, the evening began with an ordinary family plan: meeting their daughter after work.
Instead, they were left searching for her along a familiar running route, where her father found her critically injured.
As the investigation continues, police are urging anyone with information to come forward. No arrest had been announced in the latest reports.
