BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Police say evidence, including video from the scene and a trail of blood, led them to identify a suspect in a stabbing death in downtown Burlington over the weekend.
Investigators say Hassan Haji, 24, of Winooski, surrendered to police on Tuesday morning. He faces a charge of second-degree murder in the death of 24-year-old Deng Dau.
Authorities say the stabbing happened around 4 a.m. Saturday. Dau died an hour later in the hospital from the stab wound to his groin.
Police say surveillance video from the parking lot behind the courthouse on Main Street shows a fight between Dau and 22-year-old Shuaib Mohamud, when police say Haji stepped in and stabbed Deng.
Police indicated that all the people involved knew each other, but they have not provided any information about what caused the fight.
Police say they used surveillance video to track Haji’s movements from the scene to an apartment on College Street, where they found blood evidence, including clothing they say he had been wearing. Police also interviewed witnesses who placed Haji at the scene.
Haji pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail pending a weight-of-evidence hearing on Aug. 27th.
Deng’s family members had no comment after Tuesday’s hearing. The two families are well acquainted, according to court paperwork,
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