School aide who briefly served as NYPD officer arrested for fatally stabbing Brooklyn jogger

Mohassib spent about a month as an NYPD recruit in the Bronx starting in October 2022 before requesting to be reassigned to the military on extended leave. He was removed from military service due to mental health problems, according to a police source close to his journey.

He officially resigned from the NYPD on December 16, 2022 while still on military duty. His NYPD-issued firearm had already been taken away and it was never returned to him.

In January 2023, the NYPD denied his request for reinstatement. The source said he was taken to Bellevue Hospital’s psychiatric ward after exhibiting strange behavior while trying to get his job back in person.

According to a law enforcement source, police went to Mohassib’s Brooklyn home on September 27, 2024, but he was not there. His mother and sister told police that Mohassib threatened to cut them into pieces. He was found nearby and taken to Coney Island Hospital, according to the source.

Mohassib most recently worked for the New York City Department of Education as a paraprofessional at PS 200, an elementary school in Brooklyn also known as the Benson School. He continued to show up for work after the attack, law enforcement said.

It was not immediately clear whether his psychiatric history was investigated before his hiring.

“The safety of our students is our top priority. We have suspended this individual and will terminate his employment pending the outcome of the sentencing,” a DOE spokesperson said in a statement. “We support the NYPD in their investigation, but this is necessary.”

Police believe the attack was random.

Suarez was supposed to meet her parents after her race. When she never arrived, her father went looking for her and found her. She fought for her life in the hospital for several days before dying from her injuries, said her mother, Yasira Suarez.