From NYPD Cop to School Aide to Accused Killer: The Troubling Past of Sayed Mohassib

Gotham City is demanding answers after a terrifying tragedy.

A former NYPD officer who went on to work at a Brooklyn elementary school is accused of brutally stabbing a 28-year-old woman while she was out for a run. Court documents alleged the city worker then returned home covered in blood before stripping down to his underwear and trying to get rid of the evidence.

Sayed Mohassib, 27, was captured and then arraigned Saturday night in Brooklyn Criminal Court on charges of second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. These charges are in connection with the killing of beautiful Katie Suarez, 28. He pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail.

Credit: NYCourts.Gov

Suarez was jogging along the Shore Parkway waterfront path near Bay 17th Street in Brooklyn on Oct. 30 when she was attacked. She was reportedly training for the New York City Marathon. Her father was the one who tragically found her after she failed to return from her run, and she was stabbed just minutes after speaking to him on the phone. She was rushed to a hospital but died Nov. 2. The medical examiner determined that she died from a stab wound to the neck.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by Los Angeles, surveillance footage allegedly shows Mohassib walking toward the running path before the attack and fleeing afterward. Police say additional footage caught him returning to his home and leaving 15 minutes later wearing only underwear before throwing items into the garbage.

What Mohassib allegedly told investigators next was even more disturbing: Mohassib said he brought a knife to the bike path because he believed people were going to kill his family. He claimed he walked to the Verrazzano Bridge and back before sitting on a bench, where he “somehow became covered in blood.”

He denied stabbing anyone but allegedly admitted running home, throwing away his bloody clothing and knife, and attempting to clean blood from his apartment. He also identified himself in surveillance footage, per Brooklyn prosecutors.

Investigators also found a reddish stain on an apartment wall where Mohassib allegedly admitted to cleaning blood. Preliminary testing indicated the substance was blood, per the criminal complaint.

Mohassib was arrested on Saturday, Nov. 7. His attorney, Edward Mandery, requested protective custody during his arraignment, claiming concerns for his client’s safety. He is scheduled to return to court Tuesday, Nov. 10.

Mohassib’s background has become another troubling part of the case, and how he was even able to work at the Department of Education with such a concerning past history.

He previously served briefly with the NYPD in 2022 before resigning that December, with reported concerns for his mental health. CNN reported his department-issued gun had been taken away, and his attempt to rejoin the police force in January 2023 was denied after supervisors observed “concerning behavior.” That resulted in him being taken to Bellevue Hospital for an evaluation.

Mohassib also briefly served in the Marine Corps before being discharged in December 2022. The Marines confirmed his service ended prematurely, although the exact reason for his discharge is unknown.

Despite that history, Mohassib later became employed as a school aide at P.S. 200 in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. The city’s Department of Education has since suspended him.

His employment has prompted Mayor Zohran Mamdani to order a review of how Mohassib was hired and screened, per the NY Post. “I have directed my team to conduct a full review of this matter, underlying the importance of the fact that nothing is more paramount than the safety of our students, and we know that when it comes to this specific case, New York City public schools has suspended the individual and is moving to terminate his employment pending the outcome of this case,” stated Mamdani.

City Councilmembers across the five boroughs are also demanding answers about how Mohassib was hired by the DOE. Staten Island’s Frank Morano stated, ” I’m demanding answers and pursuing legislation to strengthen hiring.”

Police have said the only known connection between Mohassib and Suarez was that both attended Brooklyn College. Investigators have not publicly established a motive.

Mohassib’s mother and sister reportedly called 911 in 2024, allegedly telling police that he had threatened to chop them up. His mother, Fatma Mohassib, has since denied that her son ever threatened or attacked either of them, although she acknowledged that he had struggled with his mental health and had been hospitalized for psychiatric treatment multiple times. She told local media outlets that he was a black belt and former college basketball player at Brooklyn College.

Suarez, who worked at TD Bank, has since saved four lives through organ donation, according to LiveOnNY.

Mohassib remains in custody, returning to a Brooklyn courtroom on November 10.

The post From NYPD Cop to School Aide to Accused Killer: The Troubling Past of Sayed Mohassib appeared first on LAmag.