BOCA RATON, FL — Newly filed court records provide a fuller account of the evidence Boca Raton Police say led to the arrest of Willie James Byrd Jr. in the April killing of Arman Motiwalla in the Camino Gardens area.
Byrd, 42, of Boynton Beach, is charged in Palm Beach County Circuit Court with first-degree murder with a firearm. Court records show Byrd was present and in custody at a first appearance hearing on June 6, 2026, and that bond was set at none.
The case is listed in Palm Beach County court records as Case No. 50-2026-CF-004179-AXXX-MB. Court records show a 30-day return hearing is scheduled for July 5, 2026, at 10:30 a.m., and an initial case conference is scheduled for July 30, 2026, at 8:30 a.m.
According to a Boca Raton Police probable cause affidavit, officers responded at about 1:44 a.m. on April 8, 2026, after Motiwalla was found fatally shot in a parking lot in the area of Camino Gardens Boulevard.
The affidavit states investigators obtained surveillance footage from a nearby plaza that showed a silver Chrysler 200 with distinctive damage to the rear driver-side bumper area, heavy tint, and a missing factory antenna.
According to the affidavit, the Chrysler backed into a parking space at about 8:20 p.m. on April 7, 2026, a few spaces away from Motiwalla’s Mercedes. Police wrote that Motiwalla was seen running toward his vehicle at about 8:24 p.m. before leaving the camera’s view.
A person then appeared to exit the passenger side of the Chrysler, according to the affidavit. Police said the Chrysler pulled out of the space without its headlights illuminated and moved toward Motiwalla’s vehicle before leaving the camera’s view.
The affidavit states Motiwalla’s Apple Watch recorded his last heartbeat at about 8:25 p.m.
Detectives also cited license plate reader data. According to the affidavit, a silver Chrysler 200 was captured earlier that evening traveling westbound on Woolbright Road with one tag, then later traveling eastbound on Palmetto Park Road in Boca Raton with a stolen license plate.
Police said the Chrysler seen in the license plate reader data matched the vehicle observed near the homicide scene, including the damage near the rear driver-side taillight and the missing antenna.
On April 9, 2026, Boca Raton Police located an unoccupied silver 2015 Chrysler 200, according to the affidavit. Police wrote that Byrd made inconsistent statements about the vehicle’s ownership and use, and that detectives later identified him as the primary user of the Chrysler.
A search warrant was later obtained for the Chrysler, according to the affidavit.
During the search, detectives reported finding a handwritten note containing the address “350 Camino Gardens Boulevard,” which police identified as the scene of the crime. Police also said the note contained Motiwalla’s name, the name of his fiancée, and a personal address. The affidavit also lists ammunition, 9mm magazines, sweaters, gaiters, gloves, Western Union receipts, and bank records among items recovered from the vehicle.
Police also obtained cell-site location information and seized two iPhones from Byrd during an April 13, 2026, traffic stop conducted by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit states investigators used cell-site data, surveillance footage, license plate reader data, search warrant evidence, and communications to build the case.
According to the affidavit, police allege Byrd’s phone and the Chrysler were in the area of the homicide scene between about 6:26 p.m. and 8:25 p.m. on April 7. Police further allege the phone and vehicle left the area after 8:25 p.m. and later traveled north.
In the affidavit, Boca Raton Police wrote that the totality of the investigation established probable cause to believe Byrd committed first-degree murder with a firearm. The affidavit alleges Byrd surveilled Motiwalla’s workplace, used a stolen license plate to conceal the Chrysler, coordinated with another person, and was present at the scene during the killing.
The case remains pending in Palm Beach County Circuit Court. Charges are allegations, and Byrd is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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