Neighbors Demand Lighter and Reward Bump After Brooklyn Jogger Slain
A vigil in Bath Beach honored Katie Suarez, who died after a stabbing near her workplace, while police continue a search without surveillance footage.
By Chioma Kuznetsov ·
Residents gathered in Bath Beach, Brooklyn, on Wednesday to honor Katie Suarez, a 28-year-old bank teller who was fatally stabbed during a run near the Belt Parkway. Suarez died on Monday after sustaining a neck wound during an attack that occurred on Friday night.
The incident took place near the Caesar's Bay shopping center, approximately 150 to 200 yards from the bank where Suarez worked. Frank Petralia, a bank customer, described her as a sweetheart who was full of life. He expressed confusion that the crime happened so close to the place she worked every day.
New York Police Department investigators have not identified a suspect or found any surveillance video of the event. No witnesses have been located to explain the circumstances of the stabbing. Police believe someone in the community has information and are urging residents to call 800-577-TIPS.
Assembly Member William Colton stated that the community must find the person who committed the crime. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said the community should work together to honor Suarez and prevent similar tragedies. He suggested that collective action in her name could help stop future incidents.
Bishop Erick Salgado of Young Christians Church proposed increasing the reward for information in the case to $50,000. He believes a higher financial incentive would prompt someone to come forward with a clue. Police have continued searching the area near the Verrazzano Bridge.
Neighbors expressed concern over the safety of the area, noting a lack of lighting and heavy tree cover that creates darkness. Ann Florio-Lopez, a resident, said it is very dark and difficult to see anything. A woman who attended the vigil but did not want her name shared said the fear of the attack has changed her daily habits. She stopped walking at night after Suarez was killed.
Suarez's family did not attend the vigil. Her mother previously told Eyewitness News that she and her husband have been searching for their daughter. The family stated that Suarez's father found her in the dark on Friday evening, bleeding from her neck.
