By Guy Page

A 34-year-old Philadelphia man has been arrested and ordered held without bail in connection with the October 3 stabbing of a woman in downtown Burlington.

Umar Amin Jr., 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was arrested October 9 by Burlington police officers without incident. He was arraigned October 13 on a charge of aggravated assault and ordered held without bail pending a weight of the evidence hearing.

The arrest follows an investigation into an early morning assault that began near Church and Cherry streets and continued several blocks away near Pearl and Clarke streets.

At about 4:44 AM October 3, Burlington police responded to reports of a person in distress yelling for help near Pearl and Clarke streets. Officers found a woman suffering from an apparent stab wound to her back.

The victim told police that an unknown man had confronted her during a verbal dispute near Church and Cherry streets and then began assaulting her. The attack continued near Pearl and Clarke streets, where she was stabbed.

Burlington firefighters provided medical assistance and transported the woman to the University of Vermont Medical Center. Her injuries were not life-threatening, and she was released from the hospital later that evening.

Police initially released a description and photograph of the suspect, describing him as a Black man wearing round glasses, a black and teal vest, a white and blue brimmed hat, and long hair in dreadlocks or braids tied back.

The case was assigned to the Burlington Police Department’s Detective Services Bureau, which subsequently identified Amin as the suspect.

Police have not disclosed a possible motive for the attack or whether Amin and the victim knew each other.

The investigation remains open. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Nikki Moyer at 802-540-2326.