'It's scary.' parents concerned after school aide charged in fatal stabbing of female jogger
Parents expressed concern on Monday after the arrest of 27-year-old Sayed Mohassib in connection to the fatal stabbing of 28-year-old Katie Suarez on Oct. 30.
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Arrival at P.S. 200 in Bath Beach on Monday was filled with concern and shock by parents, after the arrest of 27-year-old Sayed Mohassib in connection to the fatal stabbing of a woman out for on jog on Oct. 30.
Police say Mohassib stabbed 28-year-old Katie Suarez in the neck while she was out for a run along the bike path near Shore Parkway and Bay 17th St.
Suarez remained on life support for days following the attack, with State Senator Steve Chan announcing the victim's death on Nov. 3.
The attacker remained on the run until Saturday when he was apprehended. During the time of his arrest, Mohassib was employed by the Department of Education as a student aide at P.S. 200.
"The fact that my son actually knows who that person is, it's scary," said one mother, Krystal Santiago.
Santiago tells News 12 after Mohassib's arrest on Saturday, she showed a picture of the alleged killer to her 7-year-old son and was shocked to hear he recognized the suspect.
Other parents say their kids also confirmed knowing Mohassib and seeing him in the halls.
The arrest also unlocked more of Mohassib's troubling past. Police sources say in 2022, the suspect resigned from the NYPD to join the military. The next year, in 2023, he requested to be reinstated into the police force but due to his psych evaluation his request was denied.
Parents are now demanding answers how a man with a troubled past was able to be employed at the school and close to children.
"We would hope that they would do better to have a better system of making sure that someone would be stable and not, you know, get involved with kids," said another neighbor, Anthony.
In a statement, the Department of Education tells News 12, "The safety of our students is our very top priority. We have suspended this individual and will move to terminate employment pending the outcome of the conviction. We are supporting the NYPD in their investigation however is needed.”
In a press conference on Monday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would also be taking a look at the hiring process.
Mohassib is due back in criminal court on Nov. 10.
