An arrest has been made in the devastating case of Treonna Washington, the 20-year-old Aliquippa woman whose life was tragically cut short by a deadly shooting, discovered in an alley over the weekend. Jason Banks Jr., 25, also from Aliquippa, is now facing charges including criminal homicide and simple assault, as per a CBS News report. The brutal incident occurred on Friday evening, but it wasn't until a local resident walking her dog found Washington's body the following morning, initiating an investigation that would soon lead to Banks' apprehension.
With state police confirming the classification of Washington's death as a homicide and revealing that Banks had previously assaulted Washington the same evening, there was a video footage capturing Banks in the act of aggression grabbing her hair hitting her, and pushing her toward a staircase. Details of such violence emerged from neighbors, witnesses, and evidence collected at the scene. The additional details, including Washington being found with a gunshot wound to the head alongside a spent .40 caliber casing, were reported by CBS News.
The community's grief is evident as the victim's father, Trey Willis, shared in an exclusive interview, as reported by WPXI, saying, "You hear these stories all across America... This isn’t just a body found in the alley, this was our baby." The pain and untimeliness of the young woman's death resonate deeply, with support pouring out on social media from family and friends mourning the life of someone described as 'a baby' by her grieving father.
Further investigation by state police has revealed that surveillance video from nearby Linmar Terrace and Wade Street caught the moments leading up to the shooting, showing Banks, Washington, and another individual walking toward the alley on Reed Street, a gunshot was heard on the footage at around 10 p.m., according to CBS News.
