Prosecutors said the former police officer accused of fatally stabbing jogger Katie Suarez had her blood splattered across the walls of his apartment and tried frantically to clean it before police arrived. The allegations emerged during his arraignment late Saturday.
Sayed Mohassib, 27, appeared in Brooklyn Criminal Court wearing flip-flops and a matching Von Dutch outfit. Prosecutors said officers discovered the forensic evidence shortly after finding the suspect at his Bensonhurst home earlier that day.
“The defendant stated that he had tried to clean the blood,” Assistant District Attorney Jordan Rossman told the court.
Rossman also said Mohassib “made admissions” and that video recordings appeared to show the former officer brutally attacking Suarez. She later died at a hospital from “punctured wounds to the neck,” prosecutors said.
Prosecutors provided few additional details and did not disclose a possible motive for the fatal Halloween Day attack.
Mohassib remained mostly silent during the proceeding, speaking only once to correct Judge John McPadden’s pronunciation of his name.
EXPLORE MORE: Exploring the Story of Tanka Jahari: From Wikipedia to the Chocolate Factory – NewsFinale
McPadden ordered Mohassib held in custody and declined to order a psychiatric evaluation after his attorney, Edward Mandery, said one was not necessary “at this time.”
Mandery also asked the judge to place the former officer, who later worked as a school paraprofessional, in protective custody.
Explaining the request, Mandery told The Post, “I just want to make sure my client doesn’t get hurt.”
“I don’t know if you guys heard there has been a lot of media attention on this case,” he added.
Mohassib faces charges of second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon and tampering with evidence. He is due back in court Nov. 10.