A Boca Raton man who was recently released from prison was arrested Friday in connection with a Boca Raton death that occurred in May.
The victim, Augustus Byam, 34, was found fatally shot May 6 inside his truck that was parked on Northeast 12th Street.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office booked Tashane Chantiloupe, 27, just after midnight and charged him with first-degree murder with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon in Byam’s death.
On the morning of the shooting, two witnesses said they woke up to multiple “bangs” around 6:30 am. and saw a man running from the scene.
Another witness told investigators that during the day before the homicide, Chantiloupe confronted Byam in Hughes Park and told him he was going to "kill" him.
In May 2016, Byam was a key witness in an attempted murder investigation involving Chantiloupe. Chantiloupe pleaded guilty to an aggravated battery charge and was released from custody on April 14.
During the investigation of Byam's death, police learned that Chantiloupe was living outside of a residence on NE 15th Terrace. A witness told police they saw Chantiloupe, a native of Jamaica, wrap something up and put it inside the roof rafters.
After a search warrant was obtained, detectives said they found a gun and ammunition in the rafters. Fingerprints on the box of ammunition came back to Chantiloupe, according to Boca Raton police.
Investigators said ballistics tests showed that the recovered firearm was used to kill Byam.
Police said DNA linked Chantiloupe to the handgun.
