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Man denied stabbing Brooklyn jogger but described being covered in blood, complaint says
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Nov 9, 2026 at 1:10 p.m. ET
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NYPD
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Nov 9, 2026 at 1:10 p.m. ET
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The man accused of fatally stabbing a Brooklyn jogger last month told police he came to the bike path with a knife because “people were going to come to kill his family,” according to a criminal complaint.
Sayed Mohassib, a 27-year-old Department of Education employee with documented mental health issues, was arrested and charged with murder Saturday in connection with the killing of 28-year-old Katie Suarez.
Suarez was stabbed in the neck as she was running on the path on Shore Parkway near Bay 17th Street on Oct. 30, and died at a local hospital days later, officials have said.
The criminal complaint states Mohassib told investigators that he went along the bike path to the Verrazzano Bridge, then came back, sat on a bench, and “became covered in blood” on his jacket, pants and clothes. But He denied stabbing anyone and did not mention crossing paths with Suarez, the complaint states.
NYPD detectives previously said they believed it was a random attack.
The complaint also states that surveillance video captured him running away from the scene, returning to his apartment, and then emerging in his underwear about 15 minutes later to throw things into the garbage chute.
Despite denying stabbing anyone, Mohassib told police that he got rid of his bloody clothing and the knife, and tried to clean blood off his hands and off the walls of his apartment, the complaint states. Detectives who visited his apartment observed a reddish stain on the wall that later tested positive as blood, according to the complaint. Mohassib also identified himself in the surveillance video, the complaint states.
Besides the murder charge, Mohassib is also accused of tampering with physical evidence and criminal weapons possession, according to the documents. A Brooklyn judge ordered him held without bail as the case proceeds, and his attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Local lawmakers on Saturday demanded a full investigation into Mohassib’s hiring by the city’s Department of Education. They said he’d previously been discharged by the U.S. Marine Corps for psychiatric issues and had a brief stint at the NYPD before being hired by the city schools in 2024. City payroll records show he was working as a "substitute school aide.”
Mohassib is due back in court on Tuesday.
Tagged
brooklyn
nypd
public safety
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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