NYPD Tracks 1,700 Vehicles to Find Suspect in Katie Suarez Stabbing

Katie Suarez, a 28-year-old bank employee, died on Monday after being stabbed Friday night along the Shore Parkway greenway in Brooklyn. Her mother confirmed the death to CBS News New York, ending a weekend where Suarez had been fighting for her life in the hospital.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny outlined the sequence of events leading to the attack. Suarez left her job at TD Bank in Caesar's Bay, Bath Beach, at approximately 6:30 p.m. She then met her mother at a nearby Wendy's about 20 minutes later. After meeting her father there, Suarez changed into her running clothes and departed the restaurant.

Police identified the critical window of time as between 7:56 p.m. and 8:12 p.m. Kenny stated that Suarez's father called her to check her location roughly an hour after she left the restaurant. She reported being about half a mile away. When she did not arrive after 10 minutes, her father went to the path and found her under a tree at Bay 17th Street on Shore Parkway, next to the eastbound lanes of the Belt Parkway.

Investigators are currently reviewing data from a license plate reader on the Belt Parkway, which recorded approximately 1,700 vehicles passing through the area during the target timeframe. Kenny said detectives are tracking those vehicles to locate dashcam footage and are deploying drones to search the area. Digital billboards are also displaying appeals for drivers with video evidence to contact police.

New York State Sen. Stephen Chan criticized the lack of safety infrastructure on the route. He noted that the path from Caesar's Bay to Sunset Park lacks surveillance cameras and sufficient lighting. Chan advocated for adding extra arms to highway lights and installing cameras to monitor the bike path for better safety.

The case echoes the killing of Karina Vetrano more than a decade ago, according to Phil Vetrano, the victim's father. He described the similarities as uncanny and said he knew exactly what Suarez's father was going through. Vetrano argued that a public outcry is necessary to close the case, citing the pressure he applied to keep his daughter's case in the spotlight until it was solved.

No arrests have been made in the Suarez case. Police have offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline can be reached at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish speakers.