A 28-year-old woman training for the New York City Marathon was brutally stabbed along a popular Brooklyn waterfront trail, leaving her fighting for her life as police hunt for an attacker who remains on the loose.
Katie Suarez was jogging along the Shore Parkway Greenway in Bath Beach shortly after 8 p.m. Friday, October 30, when she was attacked in what investigators believe may have been a random act of violence.
In a heartbreaking twist, Suarez had reportedly spoken with her father just minutes earlier, telling him she was only about half a mile away from their planned meeting spot. When she suddenly stopped answering her phone, her worried parents began searching for her.
Her father ultimately discovered her gravely injured beneath a tree near the waterfront path, suffering from multiple stab wounds to her neck.
Emergency responders rushed Suarez to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn, where she was placed on life support. Police sources told the New York Post that she had been declared brain dead, although authorities continued to describe her condition as critical as of Monday, November 2.
The attack has shaken residents of Bath Beach, where the waterfront promenade is a popular destination for joggers, cyclists and families enjoying views of Gravesend Bay and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
Investigators found evidence of a violent struggle along the pathway, including blood on a railing and the pavement. Detectives believe Suarez may have managed to run a short distance after being wounded before collapsing.
With no suspect identified and no confirmed motive, the NYPD has launched an extensive investigation involving specialized search teams, police dogs, drones and divers. Detectives are examining surveillance footage and searching for anyone who might have witnessed suspicious activity.
Police are particularly interested in speaking with anyone who saw Suarez or noticed anything unusual along the Belt Parkway bike path between Bay 8th and Bay 17th streets from 7:56 p.m. to 8:12 p.m. Friday. A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.
The tragedy has also revived painful memories of Karina Vetrano, a 30-year-old jogger murdered while running in Queens in 2016. Both women were discovered by their fathers after failing to return from their runs, although police have not established any connection between the crimes.
Neighbors remembered Suarez, who worked at a nearby bank, as a kind and hardworking young woman with strong family ties.
One longtime resident described her as an exceptionally good person who was always pleasant and professional, expressing disbelief that someone so well-liked could become the victim of such an attack.
Others said the violence had shattered their sense of security in a neighborhood they had long considered peaceful.
“I’m honestly shocked,” said Lana S., a 42-year-old business owner who has lived nearby for more than 15 years. She described the promenade as her favorite place to unwind and said she had never witnessed anything similarly frightening there.
As Suarez’s loved ones remain by her side, investigators face mounting pressure to identify whoever attacked her during what should have been an ordinary evening run.
Anyone with information is urged to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
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