A Florida man allegedly attacked another man with a golf club on a golf course until he “passed away from his injuries,” according to Palm Beach Gardens Police Chief Dominick Pape.
Police arrested 26-year-old Junior Boucher and charged him with first-degree murder for allegedly beating Brian Hiltebeitel, 65, before holding his head underwater and suffocating him at the Sandhill Crane Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens on Monday. Boucher was allegedly stripped before being arrested by police who arrived on the course minutes later.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Pape said the incident, which happened around 1:30 p.m. on Monday, appeared to be a “random act of violence.” The police chief said Boucher had no “legitimate purpose on the golf course” before allegedly assaulting Hiltebeitel while he was playing.
“Unfortunately, the victim succumbed to his injuries and died at the scene,” Pape said. “This appears to have been a random act of violence in which Boucher used the victim’s golf club as a weapon and viciously attacked the victim, ultimately killing him.”
“Palm Beach Gardens continues to be a very safe city with a very low crime rate,” he said. “But at this time, I am asking everyone to always be alert and be aware of their surroundings wherever they are, because something like this can happen anywhere.
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Boucher has a long arrest history dating back to 2006, with charges including drug possession, domestic violence and resisting arrest, according to Pape.
Pape also said the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office reported Boucher as a missing person “just one hour before the incident.” The circumstances surrounding her status as a missing person are unclear.
Newsweek The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office was reached for comment by email on Tuesday evening.
The arrest report shows that officers arrived at the golf course at 1:33 pm on Friday, with a naked Boucher allegedly “vacating the scene” just three minutes after the attack took place. Boucher appeared to be unharmed and was taken into custody “only after the use of an electronically controlled weapon.”
An account from a witness who recalled watching the attack after hearing someone scream and seeing Hiltebritel run away from Boucher was included in the report. Boucher allegedly “forcefully” held the victim’s head in the pool at the end of the attack.
“The witness stated that Boucher grabbed a golf club and swung it at an unarmed Hiltebritel,” the report said. “The witness stated that Hiltebritel yelled ‘he’s trying to kill me’ several times. The witness stated that at one point both boys fell to the ground and Boucher began striking Hiltebritel several times with a golf club.”
“Boucher continued to hit Hiltebritel in the head repeatedly with the golf club until he was in the pool,” he said. “Once in the water, Boucher jumped on top of Hiltebritel and appeared to choke him. Boucher then got off the motionless Hiltebritel and picked up a golf club and struck him repeatedly in the head.”
Minutes later, emergency responders pulled Hiltebritel out of the water and unsuccessfully tried to save his life. “Multiple deep lacerations” were observed on the back of Hiltebritel’s head and on his body.
Boucher, who was held without bail on Tuesday, reportedly claimed his real name is Manuel Acosta Rodriguez during a court hearing, according to West Palm Beach NBC affiliate WPTV.
