Wake set to be held for slain Brooklyn jogger Katie Suarez as suspect faces murder charge

Wake set to be held for slain Brooklyn jogger Katie Suarez as suspect faces murder charge A wake will be held to remember Katie Suarez on Wednesday. WABC By Eyewitness News Wednesday, November 11, 2026 11:10AM Share Follow abc7NY on Google NEW YORK (WABC) -- A wake and visitation will be held Wednesday for Brooklyn jogger Katie Suarez, the 28-year-old woman who prosecutors say was fatally stabbed while running along the Shore Parkway Greenway last month. Family and friends will gather from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Cusimano & Russo Funeral Home in Gravesend to remember Suarez. A Funeral Mass is scheduled for Thursday at St. Simon & Jude Roman Catholic Church, followed by interment at Green-Wood Cemetery. The vigil comes one day after a Brooklyn grand jury indicted 27-year-old Sayed Mohassib on a top charge of second-degree murder in Suarez's death. "Katie Suarez was a young woman with her whole life ahead of her, brutally taken from her loved ones in a senseless act of violence," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said. "Today's indictment marks an important step toward securing justice and I commend the NYPD for its swift and thorough investigation. We will vigorously prosecute this case to seek the full accountability that justice demands." Authorities allege Mohassib stabbed Suarez on Oct. 30 while she was running near Shore Parkway and Bay 17th Street in Bath Beach. Suarez's family testified before the grand jury Monday. Mohassib was arrested Saturday. At the time of his arrest, he was working as a teacher's aide at P.S. 200. The Department of Education suspended him following his arrest and officially terminated his employment Monday. The case has raised questions among parents and city officials about how Mohassib was allowed to work in a school setting. According to court documents, Mohassib told detectives he went to the bike path carrying a knife because he believed people were going to kill his family. His mother previously told Eyewitness News that her son has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals. Meanwhile, elected officials and community advocates gathered Tuesday to call for improved lighting and safety measures along the Shore Parkway Greenway, where Suarez was killed. Advocates said a 1.3-mile stretch of the waterfront path lacks lighting. While officials said it is unclear whether additional lighting would have prevented the attack, they argued any potential safety improvements should be pursued. "We're here demanding more lighting and a safer promenade, so that we do not have to keep telling more stories like that of Katie Suarez," Council Member Kayla Santosuosso said. Mohassib remains in custody as the criminal case moves forward. ---------- * More Brooklyn news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts * Download our connected TV app Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. Report a correction or typo Copyright © 2026 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved. Related Topics NEW YORK CITY BROOKLYN JOGGING MURDER NYPD ARREST INDICTMENT GRAND JURY WAKE Watch Live ON NOW 13-year-old boy shot twice while walking to store in Queens 1 hour ago Overturned vehicle fire shuts down eastbound LIE in Brentwood 6 minutes ago Is there a nor'easter coming? | Live updates 2 hours ago Hero responders save runaway child with autism from freezing waters Bronx man accused of bomb threat on Newark-to-New Orleans flight 1 hour ago Stanley Zabar, co-owner of iconic NYC grocery store, dies at 94 Suspect in 3 Central Park rapes arrested working at Miami Burger King Stacy Keach, star of stage and 'Mike Hammer' series, dies at 85