Mohassib spent about a month as an NYPD rookie in the Bronx beginning in October 2022 before asking to be reassigned to the military on extended leave. He was removed from military service because of mental health issues, according to a law enforcement source familiar with his background.
He officially resigned from the NYPD on Dec. 16, 2022 while he was still on his military assignment. His NYPD-issued firearm had already been removed and it was never returned to him.
In January 2023, the NYPD denied his request to be reinstated. The source said he was taken to the psychiatric ward at Bellevue Hospital after exhibiting strange behavior when he tried to get his job back in person.
According to a law enforcement source, police responded to Mohassib’s home in Brooklyn on Sept. 27, 2024 but he was not on scene. His mother and sister told police that Mohassib threatened to chop them up. 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 P.S. 200, an elementary school in Brooklyn also known as the Benson School. He continued to report to work after the stabbing, law enforcement officials said.
It was not immediately clear whether his psychiatric history was reviewed before he was hired.
“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,” a DOE spokesperson said in a statement. “We are supporting the NYPD in their investigation however is needed.”
Police believe the attack was random.
Suarez was supposed to meet her parents after her run. 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 of her injuries, her mother, Yasira Suarez, said.