Son Pleads Guilty, Will Testify Against His Mother And Her Boyfriend In Murder Of Locust Point Bartender
BALTIMORE (WJZ) --One of three defendants in a high-profile murder in south Baltimore's Locust Point has accepted a plea deal but the case against the other two is moving forward.
A son will testify against his mother and her boyfriend after accepting a plea deal that calls for eight years in prison for the murder of a beloved Locust Point bartender.
The killing of 41-year-old Alex Wroblewski happened in November 2017 and stunned the close-knit community in South Baltimore.
According to a statement of facts from the plea deal read in court, 38-year-old Tonya Hayes, her son, 21-year-old Tivontre Gatling-Mouzon, and her boyfriend 24-year-old Marquese Winston were at the Royal Farms convenience store on Key Highway just after one in the morning when they spotted Wroblewski.
The bartender had stopped for some milk and cookies.
The prosecutor says Winston got a gun from their car and followed Wroblewski out of the door. Both he and Gatling-Mouzon put their hoods up and confronted Wroblewski to rob him. The prosecutor says Winston shot the victim once in the stomach and Hayes drove the getaway car.
She dropped her son off in Richmond and continued with her boyfriend to Atlanta, Georgia, where U.S. Marshals helped take them into custody about a month after the killing.
Gatling-Mouzon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery with a deadly weapon. The deal calls for a 20-year sentence with all but eight years suspended. He could also be paroled before serving all eight years. Sentencing would come after his testimony and be at the judge's discretion.
It took almost an hour for the judge to accept the plea. Gatling-Mouzon repeatedly said he did not understand certain parts of the deal that had to be further explained to him.
His mother rejected a deal to plead guilty to the same count. The deal called for her to serve 15 years.
Winston, who prosecutors believe pulled the trigger, was first offered a deal that called for life with all but 70 years served.
After negotiations, prosecutors dropped the offer to 60 years.
He has until Monday morning at 9:30 to decide whether to accept it.
He appeared visibly upset in court while watching Gatling-Mouzon accept a deal to testify against him.
All of the deals called for an additional 5 years of probation after completion of the sentence.
Sources say the offers from Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby office came as a surprise. Defense attorneys told the judge they were not informed until 6:50 the evening before trial.
Unless more deals are reached, trials for Hayes and Winston are expected to begin Monday morning.
Attorneys for all three defendants declined to comment to WJZ.
Dozens of friends and family members filled the courtroom, including Thiru Vignarajah.
Vignarajah, who ran against Mosby, said he is a friend of the family. His father was once a teacher alongside Wroblewski's dad.
He declined to comment on whether the 8-year deal with Gatling-Mouzon was fair but said this to WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren:
"[Alex] was an incredible force in the community. He was beloved by his friends, by his co-workers. This was a man who represented the best of Baltimore. He was taken from us long before his time. For a measure of justice to be found in a courtroom, I think brings some comfort to family and friends. They were all here because they loved him."
The father of Alex Wroblewski told WJZ all he wanted was justice for his son.
Follow @WJZ on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook
