Katie Suárez dies after stabbing on Bath Beach trail
The 28-year-old runner was found with neck wounds near the Belt Parkway and survived for three days before passing away at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn.
By Elijah Fitzgerald ·
Katie Suárez, a 28-year-old runner of Salvadoran descent, died on Monday night at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn. She had been on life support since Friday, October 30, following a stabbing incident on a pedestrian path in Bath Beach, Brooklyn. Her mother, Yasira Suárez, confirmed the death to local media and asked the public for help in finding the person responsible.
The attack occurred around 8:15 p.m. on Friday near Bay 17th Street. Suárez was running on a trail adjacent to the Belt Parkway. She had left her job at a TD Bank branch in the Caesar’s Bay shopping center around 6:30 p.m. Detective Joseph Kenny, head of the NYPD investigation, stated that she met her parents at a Wendy’s nearby. After changing into athletic wear, she began her workout. Her mother, who usually ran with her, stayed at the restaurant to wait for her to finish.
Suárez’s father called her around 7:56 p.m. to check on her progress. She told him she was about half a mile away and would arrive soon. When she stopped answering calls and texts, her parents began searching for her. Her father found her lying under a tree with wounds to her neck. Paramedics transported her to the hospital in critical condition.
Yasira Suárez told reporters that she often warned Katie to be careful during her runs. Katie would respond that she would be fine and nothing bad would happen. The family is now grieving the loss of their daughter while the NYPD continues its search for the attacker.
Investigators have not identified a suspect or made an arrest. They believe the attack may have been random, as Suárez kept her phone and other personal items. A major challenge in the case is the lack of surveillance cameras on the specific section of the trail. The police are asking drivers who used the Belt Parkway that night to check their dash cameras. They are specifically looking for footage from the 16-minute window between 7:56 and 8:12 p.m.
License plate readers recorded approximately 1,700 vehicles passing through the area during that time. Detectives are attempting to contact those drivers to see if any have video that could identify the attacker. The NYPD is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The family also urged anyone who saw something unusual to reach out to investigators.
People with information can contact NYPD Crime Stoppers. The English line is 1-800-577-TIPS, and the Spanish line is 1-888-57-PISTA. Clues can also be sent through Crime Stoppers’ official channels or the NYPD’s X account, @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are handled confidentially.
The investigation focuses on the Shore Parkway trail between Bay 8th Street and Bay 17th Street. Authorities are requesting vehicle camera videos or any records that could help identify a person or vehicle connected to the stabbing.
