A man has been convicted of shooting a motel owner in Vernon 11 times in 2021, killing him in front of children during an argument that stemmed from a dispute over $5.
A jury in Rockville Superior Court returned a guilty verdict last Friday against 35-year-old Alvin Waugh of Hartford, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice. He was found guilty of murder and carrying a pistol without a permit.
The shooting occurred on June 27, 2021, at the Motel 6 at 51 Hartford Turnpike in Vernon where Waugh and his girlfriend had been staying for about a month, according to Courant reports. On a day that reached 90 degrees, the girlfriend reportedly argued with the motel owner, 30-year-old Zeshan Chaudhry of Vernon, about the cost of a pool pass.
The girlfriend told Chaudhry she would not pay $10 for the pool pass and that she was only willing to pay $5, according to previous reports. This led to an argument that snowballed into a separate dispute where Chaudhry was reportedly pressing the woman to know if another employee had previously only charged her $5 because he wanted to fire them.
After the argument escalated, Chaudhry allegedly said he would be kicking the couple out of the motel. The girlfriend told police she believes Waugh went to their room and retrieved a firearm.
Waugh then argued with Chaudhry on the north side of the hotel near the pool in an area where multiple children were present, according to previous reports. After about a minute, Waugh pulled the gun from his right pocket and fired a round which struck Chaudhry, surveillance video shows. It also shows that “Waugh continues to fire several rounds into Chaudhry, then runs out of view of the camera,” previous reports said.
According to the DCJ, evidence at trial showed that Waugh used a homemade handgun to shoot Chaudhry 11 times. After the shooting, he fled into a wooded area.
Emergency crews rushed to the motel around 3:50 p.m. and rushed Chaudhry to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police called Waugh on his cellphone and he told them he was about a mile away and had ditched the firearm, according to previous reports. Investigators searched the woods and the Hockanum River before finding the firearm.
Waugh agreed to meet with police before he was taken into custody.
Waugh remains held in lieu of $2 million bond while he awaits sentencing scheduled for April 10. Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Emily Trudeau prosecuted the case with the assistance of Inspector Phillip Clark, legal intern Alexandria McCormick and the cooperation of the Vernon Police Department.