Hassan Winston, 24, of Wyncote (Cheltenham Township), was convicted on Thursday, July 17 of fatally shooting 24-year-old Alonza Georgia during a gunpoint robbery in Harlem in March 2023, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., announced on Monday, July 21.
Winston was convicted with Zaire Allen, 21, of Philadelphia, on several counts including Murder in the Second Degree, Robbery in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, among other charges. Both defendants are expected to be sentenced on September 16.
“Today, a jury of Zaire Allen and Hassan Winston’s peers found them responsible for the murder of Alonza Georgia in a vicious robbery which turned fatal,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Mr. Georgia, a Manhattanite and beloved family man. My thoughts remain with the family as they continue to mourn their devastating loss. The conviction in this case is a testament to the hard work and diligence of our Violent Criminal Enterprises Unit and I thank the jury for its service.”
According to court documents and statements made on the record in court, Winston and Allen were friends and traveled from Philadelphia to New York City on March 26, 2023. At approximately 9:00pm, they approached Mr. Georgia in the lobby of his apartment building in NYCHA’s Saint Nicholas Houses near West 131st Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard. The defendants both wore face masks and brandished firearms. Each defendant held their firearm up to Mr. Georgia’s head, the DA said.
The defendants then pushed Mr. Georgia out of the lobby and to the front of the building. Mr. Georgia fell to the ground and Winston fired his gun at him. While Mr. Georgia was still lying on the ground, the defendants robbed him, including the cash that had fallen to the ground during the struggle. Allen then fired a shot at Mr. Georgia’s torso.
The pair fled the scene in an Enterprise Box Truck. Mr. Georgia was transported to Harlem Hospital and on March 27, 2023, he died from the gunshot wound to his torso.
On March 30, 2023, NYPD detectives executed a search warrant at Winston’s apartment and recovered a firearm and clothing he was seen wearing during the shooting. Allen fled to Baltimore, Maryland, following Winston’s arrest in March 2023. Allen was arrested in April 2023. Officers executing a search warrant at the home where he was staying and recovered a firearm and clothing he was seen wearing the day of the shooting.
DA Bragg thanked the Cheltenham Pennsylvania Police Department and the NYPD, particularly Detective Daniel Wadolowski of the 32nd Precinct Detective Squad and Detective Edward Stackpole of the Homicide and Shooting Enhancement Team.
Winston’s charges are as follows:
- Murder in the Second Degree, a class A-I felony, one count
- Robbery in the First Degree, a class B felony, two counts
- Robbery in the Second Degree, a class C felony, one count
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a class C felony, four counts
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