Accused Shooter Found Guilty In 2021 Homicide At Motel In Vernon

VERNON, CT — A Hartford man charged with murder in a 2021 shooting over a $10 motel pool pass in Vernon has been found guilty.

Craig P. Nowak, state's attorney for the Tolland Judicial District, said Monday that a jury in Rockville Superior Court on Friday found 35-year-old Alvin Waugh, of Hartford, guilty of murder.

Waugh was also found guilty of carrying a pistol without a permit, Nowak said.

Judge Tejas Bhatt presided over the trial.

Waugh was taken into custody a short time after the June 27, 2021 shooting, which took place at 3:53 p.m. at what was then the Motel 6 at 51 Hartford Turnpike.

The motel has since changed names.

The victim was identified in a police report as Zeshan Chaudhry, of Vernon, who was 30 at the time.

Lifesaving measures were attempted at the scene and Chaudhry was transported to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, arrest and court records show.

The Vernon Police Department Detective Division along with the State Police Eastern Major Crimes Unit and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner began investigating the shooting.

According to court documents, Waugh and his girlfriend had been staying at the motel for about a month, and Waugh's girlfriend asked Chaudhry (the owner) about using the pool. Waugh then joined an ensuing argument about a $10 surcharge for a pool pass and the couple was thrown out of the hotel, according to court documents.

The documents describe Waugh leaving the pool area, returning with a gun, arguing with Chaudhry again, and then shooting him several times.

Waugh ran to a wooded area nearby, but then called his girlfriend, talked to officers, and agreed to return, according to court documents.

The shooting was captured on surveillance equipment and Waugh confessed to the killing, according to the arrest affidavit.

Children were present in the general area when the shooting took place, police said.

Waugh is being held on a $2 million bond while awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for April 10 in Rockville.

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.