Months after he was fatally shot in Minneapolis, the 44-year-old victim's identity was released on Thursday, the same day police announced the arrest of a suspect.

Robert Martin Heiland of Minneapolis suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen on Sept. 17 near the intersection of 26th and Sheridan avenues N., the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office said.

Heiland was taken to North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale and died there on Sept. 30, the office said.

Police Sgt. Garrett Parten and court records show that a 28-year-old woman from Richfield was arrested in Eagan on Dec. 4, and a case has been forwarded to the County Attorney's Office for consideration of charges. The Star Tribune generally does not identify suspects before they are charged.

Heiland's death "appears to be related to a narcotics deal," Parten said.

In the meantime, the woman is being held in the Dakota County jail in connection with felony drug charges stemming from her arrest.

Asked why Heiland's identity was released nearly three months after his death, county spokeswoman Carolyn Marinan said, "The medical examiner cannot discuss specific details of a case."

This is the second time this month that the office released the name of a homicide victim roughly three months after the death occurred. Typically, names are released within days to a week or two.

On Dec. 11, the Examiner's Office said Travion Jacoa Jones, 35, of Ramsey was shot in the chest on Aug. 30 on Park Avenue S. just north of E. Lake Street and died shortly afterward at HCMC.

There have been 77 homicides in the city this year, according to a Star Tribune database. That compares to 81 at this time last year.