A South Burlington teenager and a New York City man have been charged with second-degree murder in the death of 42-year-old Scott Kastner, who was beaten in an alleyway between Burlington’s Church Street and City Hall Park.
Isaiah Argro, 26, of Queens, N.Y., was arrested on Friday night at a home in Shelburne. Then, early on Saturday, police arrested the 16-year-old following a brief struggle at a South Burlington nightclub. Seven Days does not generally identify juveniles charged with crimes.
Both suspects were being held without bail pending their arraignments, which were scheduled for Tuesday.
Kastner was hospitalized following a midday assault on August 11 and died days later. The cause of death was identified as complications from blunt-force head trauma; the medical examiner says the death was a homicide.
For weeks, police have been tight-lipped about the investigation, but city councilors cited the assault as one reason more officers were needed to patrol City Hall Park. A resolution passed Monday directs officers to crack down on drug dealing, public drug use, camping and other illegal behavior in the downtown green space.