BOCA RATON, Fla. — A 42-year-old Boynton Beach man has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a Plantation father who was gunned down in a Boca Raton parking lot in April, according to police.
Willie Byrd Jr. was taken into custody Friday and charged with first-degree murder with a firearm in the death of 37-year-old Arman Motiwalla, Boca Raton police announced. Byrd is being held at Palm Beach County Jail.
Victim found dead in Boca Raton parking lot
Motiwalla was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds next to his car around 1:45 a.m. on April 8 in the parking lot of 350 Camino Gardens Boulevard in Boca Raton. Police had offered a $3,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.
According to a probable cause affidavit from the Boca Raton Police Department, surveillance footage captured the shooting on the evening of April 7. Investigators say Motiwalla's Apple Watch recorded his last heartbeat at 8:25 p.m.
Extensive investigation leads to arrest
The investigation revealed Byrd drove a silver Chrysler 200 with stolen license plates to conceal the vehicle's identity, police said. Surveillance data and license-plate readers tracked Byrd from his Boynton Beach residence, to the Boca Raton crime scene and back home.
Police located Byrd's vehicle on April 9. When contacted by Boca Raton officers, Byrd made conflicting statements about vehicle ownership and became nervous when told investigators were from the Boca Raton Police Department, according to the affidavit.
Evidence links suspect to victim
A search warrant executed on Byrd's vehicle uncovered crucial evidence, police said. Investigators found a Post-It note containing the Camino Gardens address where the shooting occurred, along with Motiwalla's name, personal address and his fiancée's name.
Additional evidence included 9mm magazines and ammunition, Western Union receipts and Chase Bank account information, according to police.
Cell phone data analysis revealed Byrd had surveilled Motiwalla's workplace and coordinated with an associate who was transported on the day of the shooting, investigators said.
On April 13, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office conducted a traffic stop on Byrd and seized two Apple iPhones for forensic analysis.
Victim filed whistleblower complaint
Motiwalla had filed a whistleblower complaint against his former employer, Innovative Partners L.P., in 2025, according to court documents.
A friend described Motiwalla as "a devoted father who was incredibly proud of his son, Amir" and said he was "passionate about his work and deeply dedicated to protecting and helping others."
"Arman lost his life while doing what he believed was right," the friend told WPTV. "We are heartbroken by this tragedy, but we remain confident that justice will be swift and severe."
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