Burlington police arrested a man Thursday afternoon for the fatal stabbing at Piesanos Restaurant on Main Street early Sunday morning.Police took 40-year-old Von Simmonds, of Burlington into custody. He is being charged with second-degree murder in the death of 23-year-old Abubakar Sharrif, also of Burlington. Simmonds is being held at Northwest State Correctional Facility on a “hold without bail.” He’s expected to be arraigned tomorrow morning at the Chittenden Superior Courthouse. Police responded to calls of a disturbance and assault at the restaurant at 3:08 a.m. Officers say they found the male victim seriously injured and bleeding heavily from apparent stab wounds. Sharrif was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. On Monday, a cleaning crew was seen working inside Piesanos and a memorial for Sharrif had been placed outside of the restaurant.”When I heard the noise around 3 a.m. I didn’t really think anything of it, but it was just yelling and commotion, and just like weird — weird screaming,” said one Burlington woman who spoke with NBC5 but wished not to be identified.On Monday, Burlington police Chief Jon Murad confirmed that the stabbing happened inside the restaurant in what police believe to be a fight between two groups of people.”It doesn’t appear to be over something other than just two groups of people running into each other,” Murad said. “Frankly, this appears to have been bar-closing-beer-muscles and a fight that comes from that kind of behavior and ends up being something that turns into something a lot worse.” Police said this marks Burlington’s fifth murder of 2022.For some residents, Sunday’s stabbing is part of a larger trend of increased violence in the city.”I’ve lived in Burlington for about six years now and things are a lot different,” said the Burlington woman, who said she avoids walking her dog late at night due to the increase in crime.
Burlington police arrested a man Thursday afternoon for the fatal stabbing at Piesanos Restaurant on Main Street early Sunday morning.
Police took 40-year-old Von Simmonds, of Burlington into custody. He is being charged with second-degree murder in the death of 23-year-old Abubakar Sharrif, also of Burlington.
Advertisement
Simmonds is being held at Northwest State Correctional Facility on a “hold without bail.” He’s expected to be arraigned tomorrow morning at the Chittenden Superior Courthouse.
Police responded to calls of a disturbance and assault at the restaurant at 3:08 a.m. Officers say they found the male victim seriously injured and bleeding heavily from apparent stab wounds.
Sharrif was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
On Monday, a cleaning crew was seen working inside Piesanos and a memorial for Sharrif had been placed outside of the restaurant.
“When I heard the noise around 3 a.m. I didn’t really think anything of it, but it was just yelling and commotion, and just like weird — weird screaming,” said one Burlington woman who spoke with NBC5 but wished not to be identified.
On Monday, Burlington police Chief Jon Murad confirmed that the stabbing happened inside the restaurant in what police believe to be a fight between two groups of people.
“It doesn’t appear to be over something other than just two groups of people running into each other,” Murad said. “Frankly, this appears to have been bar-closing-beer-muscles and a fight that comes from that kind of behavior and ends up being something that turns into something a lot worse.”
Police said this marks Burlington’s fifth murder of 2022.
For some residents, Sunday’s stabbing is part of a larger trend of increased violence in the city.
“I’ve lived in Burlington for about six years now and things are a lot different,” said the Burlington woman, who said she avoids walking her dog late at night due to the increase in crime.
