BREAKING: She Was Half a Mile From Home — Then Her Father Found Her on a Brooklyn Running Path. Now an Ex-NYPD Officer Faces Murder Charges

Katie Suarez was supposed to meet her parents after an evening run. She had called her father to say she was almost home. But when the 28-year-old never arrived, her parents went looking for her. Her father found her gravely injured beside a Brooklyn waterfront path. Days later, a former police officer working at an elementary school was arrested — and investigators began revealing the troubling evidence that led them to him.

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — November 9, 2026. A former New York City police officer and onetime Marine Corps recruit has been charged in the 𝘬iᩚlling of Katie Suarez, the 28-year-old runner whose October 30 attack shocked New York City.

The suspect, Sayed Mohassib, 27, was arrested on Saturday, November 7.

He faces charges of second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and fourth-degree criminal possession of a w𝔢𝔞𝔭𝔬η.

Mohassib has pleaded not guilty.

He was ordered held without bail.

The arrest followed an extensive investigation involving surveillance footage, witness interviews and evidence from the suspect’s residence.

But behind the criminal case is a devastating family story.

Katie’s father was expecting to see his daughter after her run. Instead, he became the person who found her seriously injured.

The Phone Call Before Everything Changed

On the evening of Friday, October 30, Katie was running along the Shore Parkway Greenway near Brooklyn’s Bath Beach neighborhood.

The waterfront route follows the Belt Parkway and is used by runners, cyclists and local residents.

Around 8 p.m., Katie called her father.

According to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny, she told him she was approximately half a mile from home.

Her parents expected to meet her shortly afterward.

But Katie never arrived.

As the minutes passed, her family grew concerned.

Her parents went searching along the route she had taken.

Then her father made a discovery that no parent should ever have to face.

Her Father Found Her Beside the Running Path

Katie’s father discovered her lying injured near the greenway.

She had suffered serious wounds to her neck.

Emergency responders rushed her to the hospital.

Investigators later described a large crime scene extending along the path.

Detectives worked to reconstruct what happened during a narrow window of time shortly after Katie had spoken with her father.

There were no cameras directly recording the attack.

No eyewitness had immediately come forward with a definitive account.

And police initially had no clear motive.

Katie was transported to a hospital in ᑕriᩚtiᩚcal condition.

Her family hoped she might survive.

But on Monday, November 2, she died from her injuries.

She was just 28 years old.

An Attack That Appeared to Have No Clear Motive

As detectives examined the scene, several details complicated the investigation.

Police said Katie’s belongings did not appear to have been stolen.

There was no evidence pointing to robbery as the immediate explanation.

Investigators also reported no indication of a 𝘴єxual assault.

Chief Kenny said the circumstances appeared consistent with a random attack.

That possibility deeply unsettled the surrounding community.

Katie had been running along a familiar public path.

She had contacted her father only shortly before the attack.

And investigators had not identified any known personal dispute that would explain the violence.

For days, police appealed to anyone who might have seen something unusual.

The Cameras That Led Investigators to a Suspect

Although the attack itself was not captured on camera, investigators continued searching for nearby surveillance footage.

Detectives reviewed video from the surrounding area, including the Caesar’s Bay Shopping Center.

According to court documents reported by CBS New York, footage showed Mohassib entering the vicinity of the running path before the attack and leaving afterward.

Investigators also traced his movements to a nearby business and obtained identifying information.

The surveillance evidence helped narrow the search.

Detectives subsequently gathered additional information linking Mohassib to the area.

By Saturday, November 7, the NYPD had arrested him.

What Investigators Say Happened After the Attack

The criminal complaint describes allegations concerning Mohassib’s movements after he left the greenway.

According to CBS New York, surveillance footage showed him returning home and later disposing of clothing in a trash chute.

Investigators also reported finding what appeared to be blood evidence inside his residence.

The complaint describes a detective observing Mohassib cleaning a reddish stain from an apartment wall.

Authorities have sought additional evidence connected to items allegedly discarded after the incident.

ABC7 New York reported on November 8 that investigators had recovered a knife from a landfill.

Forensic testing and the full significance of the recovered evidence remain matters for the investigation and legal proceedings.

The allegations have not been proven at trial.

The Suspect’s Account Raises More Questions

According to police sources and court documents, Mohassib allegedly told investigators he had gone to the waterfront path carrying a knife.

He reportedly said he feared people might harm his family.

But he denied stabbing Katie.

Instead, the complaint describes him saying he sat on a bench and later found himself covered in blood.

The account has raised questions about what happened during the period investigators believe Katie was attacked.

However, his statements should not be treated as a medical diagnosis or proof of his mєntal state.

The courts will need to examine the evidence and determine what, if anything, those statements establish.

A Former Police Officer Working at an Elementary School

Another detail has intensified public concern.

At the time of his arrest, Mohassib worked as a paraprofessional at P.S. 200, a public elementary school in Brooklyn.

He had also briefly served with the NYPD in 2022.

According to reporting based on law enforcement sources, he later entered the Marine Corps but served for less than a month.

The Marine Corps confirmed that his service ended because it did not meet the organization’s standards.

Sources have also described concerns raised during his previous attempts to work in law enforcement.

But employment history and reported mєntal health concerns do not establish motive or criminal responsibility.

The charges against Mohassib must be assessed based on evidence concerning Katie’s 𝘬iᩚlling.

Questions About His Employment After October 30

According to local news reports, Mohassib returned to his job at the elementary school during the days following Katie’s dєatᩚh.

That disclosure raised concerns among parents and public officials.

The New York City Department of Education confirmed that he had been suspended following his arrest.

The department also indicated that it would pursue termination in connection with the case.

State Senator Stephen Chan questioned how someone with the reported employment history could continue working around children.

The concerns have prompted renewed scrutiny of hiring practices, background checks and how agencies share information about former employees.

However, authori