Man arrested for beating victim to death with golf club on Florida course, cops say
Police called the incident a random act of violence
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Florida police arrested a man who they say beat another man to death using his golf clubs at a course.
Junior Boucher, 36, has been accused of murdering 65-year-old Brian Hiltebeitel at Sandhill Crane Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens on Monday.
According to a probable cause affidavit, cops responded to several 911 calls about a man attacking another man at the course shortly after 1 p.m. A witness said Hiltebeitel had been playing a round when Boucher attacked him.
Hiltebeitel reportedly tried retreating from Boucher and screamed: “He’s trying to kill me!” multiple times.
Boucher started swinging a golf club at the man, police records state. At one point, both of the men fell to the ground and Boucher struck Hiltebeitel numerous times with the golf club. The men separated and Boucher grabbed another golf club, chasing Hiltebritel towards the pond at hole one, police said.
That’s when a witness said Boucher struck the older man several times in the head with the club until they were in the pond. After they got into the water, Boucher allegedly jumped on Hiltebritel and began choking him. Hiltebritel stopped moving and Boucher got off him and picked up a golf club. Boucher continued to hit Hiltebeitel in the head, police say.
Following the incident, Boucher reportedly got out of the water, stripped his clothes and walked away. He appeared to be uninjured with no obvious signs of trauma.
Officials responded to the golf course and found Hiltebeitel’s body in the water. Officials pulled him out and performed life-saving measures, but he was declared deceased at the scene.
He had suffered multiple deep cuts to the back of his head and on his body.
Boucher tried to flee the area, court records state. Officials chased after him and told him to stop but were unsuccessful. Boucher was taken into custody after police deployed an “electronic control weapon.”
The witness identified Boucher as the perpetrator to police. He is in the Palm Beach County Jail on a first-degree murder charge.
Dominick Pape, Palm Beach Gardens chief of police, said Boucher did not have a legitimate reason for being at the golf course on Monday. “This appears to be a random act of violence where Boucher used the victim’s golf clubs as weapons and viciously attacked the victim, ultimately killing him,” he said during a news briefing on Tuesday.
Boucher had been reported missing an hour before the incident. He has a history of drug possession offenses, domestic battery and battery on a law enforcement officer. The Independent has emailed his public defender for comment.
Dina Lauro, Hiltebritel’s girlfriend, described him “a good, good person.”
“He was exciting to be with, always in a good mood, never depressed,” Lauro told WPTV. She told the outlet she’s heartbroken over the loss.
“I don’t know how I’m doing. I’m just taking it moment by moment, that’s what I’m going to do, that’s the plan,” she aid.