BALTIMORE — The convicted gunman and his co-conspirator in the 2017 murder of a popular Federal Hill bartender received prison terms of 40 and four years, respectively, at their sentencing hearing Wednesday.
Marquise Winston, 25, was convicted of second-degree murder for his role in the Nov. 14, 2017 murder of Alex Wroblewski Jr. at the Royal Farms at the corner of Key Highway and Lawrence Street. Tonya Hayes, 38, was convicted of handgun charges, but not robbery counts, for her role in the shooting death. Winston was given the 40 year term, Hayes the shorter four year stint. Tivontre Gatling-Mouzon, 21, who previously took a plea deal in February, pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit armed robbery, accepted a 20-year sentence with all but eight suspended. Hayes and Winston rejected their plea offers at the time, wanting to try their fates in court.
READ MORE: Jury seating issues delay Federal Hill bartender murder trial
Wroblewski had stopped at the gas station’s convenience store to buy a snack. Winston, Hayes, and Gatling-Mouzon stopped as well. The trio had been traveling together from points further south (Mouzon and Winston are from Richmond, Va., Hayes is from Atlanta), when they encountered Wroblewski as he was leaving the store and followed him out. In the parking lot, Winston pursued Wroblewski with Gatling-Mouzon in toe. A confrontation ensued and Wroblewski was shot. He later died of his injuries. Winston was tagged as the gunman. The murder weapon was previously in Hayes' car, and following the shooting she acted as the group's getaway driver. The three were arrested and brought back to Baltimore in the days after the killing.
“We are glad that the trial and sentencing is over," said Alex Wroblewski Sr. while reading a prepared statement in front of the court house after the sentence was delivered and coming to tears at the conclusion. "Nothing will bring back our son. We have, and will continue to surrender ourselves to our lord and savior Jesus Christ, to help us to live with our broken hearts. We would like to thank our family, our friends, Alex’s friends, and the community for the support they continually give us. They remind us everyday what we already knew. How special a person Alex was.”
