Burlington police arrest suspect in City Market assault

Burlington police have issued a citation to a St. Albans man they believe carried out an assault in the downtown City Market parking lot earlier this month. 

Robert Beattie, 22, has been ordered to appear in Vermont Superior Court in Burlington on Feb. 7. Police expect he will be answering a charge of aggravated assault. 

Police had been hoping to identify the assault suspect after releasing a video to the public late last week that showed who they believed to be the suspect and two witnesses. They said the assault, which occurred on Jan. 18 shortly after bar closing, left a 21-year-old man with an eye socket fracture, skull fracture and brain bleeds. 

More:Man knocked unconscious in City Market parking lot. Burlington police look for suspect.

On Monday, Beattie contacted police through his lawyer to identify himself as the man in the video released. Police said they then arrested him, but later released him on the citation.

"The Burlington Police Department would like to thank the local media for running the original press release and the citizens who called police with tips that led to the identification of the suspect," Burlington police wrote in a news release. 

Police have not said what they believe led to the assault, but Detective Eric Dalla Mura has said there appeared to be an argument directly before the incident occurred, according to surveillance video collected as evidence.

Contact Elizabeth Murray at 651-4835 or emurray@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LizMurrayBFP.