10/7/15 UPDATE:
Members of the Uniform Services Bureau and Street Crimes Unit continued to investigate the incidents and conducted additional interviews and collected surveillance video from multiple locations on the Church St Marketplace. As a result of the continued investigation, officers applied for an arrest warrant for Matthew Cooke (age 24 of Burlington) charging him with Assault and Robbery. Cooke was charged with Assault and Robbery because one of the victims reporting feeling pain during the incident. A warrant was subsequently issued for Cooke’s arrest on September 29, 2015.
On October 7, 2015, Cooke was arrested pursuant to the warrant and arraigned at the Chittenden Superior Court – Criminal Division. Cooke was charged with one count of Attempted Assault and Robbery and released on conditions. Cooke has previously been convicted of Simple Assault, Possession of Stolen Property, Petit Larceny, False Pretenses, and Disorderly Conduct.
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On August 26, 2015 at about 4:40 P.M., the Burlington Police Department received two reports of attempted “purse snatchings” on the Church St. Marketplace. In both incidents, a male subject attempted to steal a purse from the victim’s possession. The suspect was described as a white male, about 5’06 tall, in his late teens or early twenties, wearing a blue shirt and khaki shots. The suspect reportedly fled from the area following the incident. Anybody with information is asked to contact Officer Eric Dalla Mura at 802-540-2286 or the Burlington Police Department at 658-2400.
