Burlington man accused of assault, hate crime

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Police say a man who beat another person in Burlington’s Battery Park Saturday morning is on the lose.

Police have identified the suspect as 33-year-old Matthew Kaigle of Burlington. He’s wanted for Aggravated Assault with Hate Motivated Crime.

A witness tells police at around 9:45 a.m., they saw Kaigle punch another man sitting on a bench, causing him to fall on the ground. He then kicked the man in the head multiple times. Kaigle left him lying there apparently unconscious.

The victim tells police Kaigle made racist comments before the assault.

Kaigle was last seen in surveillance video walking to and getting in his white Chevy pickup truck parked on the southside of the Burlington Police Department after it happened.

Kaigle has a lengthy criminal history, including several recent incidents, and is well known to law enforcement. So far this year, police have interacted with him 26 times. They say he’s displayed violent tendencies towards the public.

Police say not to approach Kaigle if you find him, as he is dangerous.

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