Mohassib spent about a month with the NYPD beginning in October 2022 before asking to be reassigned to the military, where he was removed because of mental health issues, according to a law enforcement source familiar with his background.

In January 2023, the NYPD denied his request to be reinstated. The source said he was taken to the psychiatric ward at Bellevue Hospital after exhibiting strange behavior when he tried to get his job back in person.

Mohassib most recently worked for the New York City Department of Education as a paraprofessional at P.S. 200, an elementary school in Brooklyn. He continued to report to work after the stabbing, law enforcement officials said.

It was not immediately clear whether his psychiatric history was reviewed before he was hired.

“The safety of our students is our very top priority. We have suspended this individual and will move to terminate employment pending the outcome of the conviction,” a DOE spokesperson said in a statement. “We are supporting the NYPD in their investigation however is needed.”

Police believe the attack was random.

Suarez was supposed to meet her parents after her run. When she never arrived, her father went looking for her and found her. She fought for her life in the hospital for several days before dying of her injuries, her mother, Yasira Suarez, said.