A 28-year-old bank teller, Katie Suarez, is on life support after being stabbed twice in the neck during a random attack while jogging in Brooklyn, New York City. The assault occurred moments after she spoke to her father on the phone, according to reports.
Attack After Phone Call With Father
Katie had met up with her mother shortly after leaving work at around 6.30pm, police sources told the New York Post. The pair met near the TD Bank where Katie worked in a shopping plaza, a family tradition after Katie clocked off.
Katie's father would typically join them but was running late on Friday evening. Katie had already changed out of her work clothes and into her running gear, handing over her clothes to her mother before heading off on a run by herself. She ran along the Belt Parkway westbound toward the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, with reports adding that she may have been training for Sunday's New York City marathon.
Discovery of the Victim
Katie's father eventually caught up with her mother. At around 8pm, he phoned their daughter to talk about where they could meet up. The father told his daughter that he and her mother were still close to the bank and asked where she was, with Katie replying she was about half-a-mile away, around a five-minute jog for her. The New York Post reports that nothing concerning came up during the phone call.
A short time later, when Katie didn't appear at the meeting point, her father called her again. This time, she didn't pick up, reports say. The parents split up to look for their daughter, who was discovered by her father near Bay 17th Street and Shore Parkway.
Investigation and Aftermath
Katie was found stabbed twice in the neck, on both her right and left side, before her father frantically pleaded with a passer-by to call the emergency services. Investigators believe the attack was random, with no indication of a sexual or theft motive, as her pink cell phone and jewellery were still with her, sources said. It is believed that Katie ran another 100 feet after being attacked before collapsing.
Katie is now being treated at New York University Langone Hospital. The victim's cousin, Gianluca Frances, 19, spoke to The Post on Sunday outside the hospital, saying, "It's going to come to light whoever truly did it." He suggested Katie may have been training for the marathon while calling the situation "truly an awful, awful time" and urging "the worst" to happen to the person who attacked his cousin.
The following day, Saturday, a neighbour said, "It's very sad. I'm sad for everybody, but this is close. It's too much right now. It's a mad world." Katie had worked as a teller at the bank branch for more than five years, according to her LinkedIn. Reports add that Katie often jogged along the path, which features views of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and Staten Island. It is also popular with walkers, joggers, bikers, and fishermen.
