FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A man and two women face multiple charges in a fatal shooting that occurred last month at a motel in Fort Lauderdale, authorities said.
Amanda Taylor, 25, was the latest suspect to be arrested Thursday in the case on charges of premeditated murder and armed robbery.
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Ladarrius Boatwright, 24, and Moane' Garcia, who was 26 at the time of the killing, were arrested last month. Garcia also faces a charge of violating probation by possessing cocaine, and Boatwright faces an addition charge of conspiracy to commit a robbery with a firearm.
According to an arrest affidavit, the victim, Jose Bolanos, 63, was shot in the back the night of July 6 inside a motel room at the Vacation Inn Motel at 3101 SE Sixth Ave.
Police said his body was found the next morning inside the room, which had the door ajar.
According to detectives, surveillance video shows two prostitutes, later identified as Taylor and Garcia, entering and exiting Bolanos' motel room several times.
Police said the duo left together just after 10:30 p.m., but Garcia came back a short time later and knocked on the door.
Detectives said Bolanos let her in and she was seen on video running out of the room a short time later after Boatwright entered the room.
A witness who was staying in the room adjacent to the crime scene told detectives he heard banging coming from the room around the time of the shooting.
Authorities said there were signs of a struggle inside the room, as the mattress was pushed off the bed and several items were strewn around the room.
Detectives later went through the victim's cellphone and discovered he had exchanged four phone calls and seven text messages with a phone owned by Taylor an hour before he was robbed and shot, police said.
According to the arrest affidavit, Taylor was arrested July 27 on an unrelated arrest warrant, at which time authorities discovered that she was in possession of the cellphone that had exchanged the calls and texts with Bolanos.
Police said Taylor was questioned about the homicide and confessed to selling Bolanos crack cocaine that night and having sex with him for $200.
Police said Taylor claimed Garcia had picked her up from Fort Lauderdale Beach that night in a silver Hyundai Sonata and arranged to meet Boatwright at a nearby gas station.
The car is registered to Boatwright, authorities said.
According to the affidavit, Taylor claimed she waited in the car while Garcia and Boatwright went to the motel room to rob Bolanos.
She said she later learned Bolanos had been fatally shot.
Detectives said Garcia was questioned Aug. 7 and admitted to her role in the robbery and murder. She also identified Boatwright as the gunman and said she and Taylor each received $300 from the money that was taken from Bolanos, authorities said.
Boatwright was arrested two days later on Aug. 9.
According to the affidavit, the victim had been paid more than $1,700 in cash the day of the robbery and had most of the money on him when he was killed.