Jogger critically injured in Bath Beach stabbing identified; second nearby attack raises safety concerns
Police say Katie Suarez, 28, was running alone along the bike trail off the Belt Parkway Friday when she was stabbed multiple times in the neck.
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Police are asking the public for help as they search for the person responsible for the stabbing of a 28-year-old woman who was attacked while jogging in Bath Beach on Friday night.
The victim, identified by police sources as Katie Suarez, was running along the bike path near the Belt Parkway around 8 p.m. while training for the New York City Marathon when she was stabbed multiple times in the neck.
Suarez remains in critical condition, according to police. Sources close to the investigation say she may be brain dead.
"The first thing I thought of is, how can this happen?" said State Sen. Stephen Chan. "That same corner is where a woman was killed by a sanitation truck not more than a week ago. And there was a shooting over there a couple of weeks ago."
Investigators have not identified a suspect and are urging anyone who may have seen Suarez on Friday night or who has information about the attack to come forward.
The stabbing has renewed concerns among residents about public safety in the area.
"It's very concerning," said neighborhood resident Jesse Scaravella. "Even when I was younger, the last time I remember something bad happening around those areas was a 'Son of Sam.'"
Community concerns intensified less than 48 hours later, when police said a 17-year-old boy was stabbed about a mile and a half away near West Fourth Street and Kings Highway.
Police confirmed the attack happened just before 1 a.m. Sunday.
"He was bleeding very badly," said one resident who witnessed the aftermath. "It was like he was actually fainting right there on the steps."
Video recorded by witnesses shows the injured teenager sitting on the front steps of a building while a woman nearby calls for help and requests an ambulance.
A trail of blood remained at the scene hours after the attack.
"At first I thought it was some kind of Halloween stunt or decoration," Scaravella said. "Then I realized it was the real deal, and it looked like something horrendous happened."
Police say the teen suffered a stab wound to the chest and slash wounds to the head and arm. He remains hospitalized. No arrests have been announced and investigators have not released information about a possible suspect.
Sen. Chan said residents are frustrated and looking for answers after multiple violent incidents in the neighborhood in recent weeks.
"I feel very, very heartbroken for the family as well as our neighborhood," Chan said. "Everybody is concerned."
Anyone with information about either stabbing is asked to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline. Information can be provided anonymously.
