By Michael Donoghue, Vermont News First
A young Burlington man, well known to law enforcement, is due in Vermont Superior Court on Monday for his involvement in an aggravated assault on Main Street on Friday evening, Burlington Police said.
Joshua M. Genalski, 20, was lodged for lack of $5,000 bail for the felony assault charge, city police said. Genalski was taken to Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans Town, where records show he also is held on a charge of violation of conditions of release in the case.
Burlington Police failed to identify the name of the victim, who they said suffered multiple lacerations to the head and hands.
Police also did not say if it was a man or woman, but reported Genalski’s victim was in stable condition. Police added they believed there was no ongoing threat to the general public due to the arrest.
The incident happened near a two-story apartment building across from Memorial Auditorium on Main Street about 6:27 p.m., police said.
The assault is believed to have taken place over several minutes, with many potential witnesses passing by on foot and by vehicle in the area between South Winooski Avenue and South Union Street, police said in a news release.
The initial call to police indicated a physical altercation involving two individuals.
Genalski is known to local police, including in Colchester, South Burlington and state police in Washington County for past legal problems.
One of the more serious recent cases was this year when Colchester Police said Genalski was arrested on charges of aggravated domestic assault and cruelty to a child following a report of a woman attacked on Porters Point Road about 12:50 p.m. on Jan. 6
Genalski, who was living in Richmond, fled the scene on foot, but was eventually found with help from Burlington Police.
Colchester Officers said they determined one of the people involved had discharged a firearm outside of the residence. A child was also reported to have sustained a minor injury, police said.
A judge in that case ordered Genalski jailed without bail.
State Police said they ordered him into court in Washington County for violation of conditions of release on July 29 for leaving his residence — then in Waterbury — without proper supervision. Troopers had been called to investigate a vehicle that had been loaned, but had not been returned to the owner, police said.
South Burlington Police said they also investigated Genalski earlier for a simple assault complaint on Williston Road on Aug. 19, 2023.
The new case is assigned to the Detective Services Bureau and anyone with information is asked to call Burlington Police at (802) 658-2704.