Man arrested in fatal shooting of woman found near Holden Heights, deputies say

Tasmine Shawaun Boatwright faces 2nd-degree murder charge

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A man was arrested months after the fatal shooting of a woman who was found in a residential area near Holden Heights in August, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office said Tasmine Shawaun Boatwright was arrested on Tuesday.

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Deputies responded to the area of 42nd Street and Nashville Avenue on Aug. 27, where they found Loleta Young, 62. She was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.

According to an affidavit, a witness told deputies Young had approached him in his yard and asked to borrow his phone to call her family in New York. The man was told by Young she just got into an argument at a nearby 7-Eleven, the sheriff’s office said.

(Victim) Loleta Young, 62 (Copyright 2022 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

When the man turned his back to Young and continued working on his yard, the witness told deputies he heard two gunshots and saw Young on the ground, the affidavit shows.

The witness saw the suspect, who was wearing all black clothing and a ski mask, near the edge of his property before the shooter ran off, deputies said.

The sheriff’s office said K-9s were able to locate the clothing and mask, which was taken for DNA processing. The affidavit said an image of the mask was shown to the witness, who said he and his nephew gave that mask to a man known by the nickname “Taz.”

Deputies said they were able to locate an apartment the suspect went to after the shooting and, after acquiring a search warrant, they were able to look in the residence on Sept. 1 where they found a gun that matched the casings at the shooting scene.

The sheriff’s office said the DNA report from the clothing and masks was received on Oct. 13, which showed Boatwright’s DNA on it.

Boatwright faces a charge of second-degree murder.

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About the Author
Brenda Argueta headshot

Brenda Argueta is a digital journalist who joined ClickOrlando.com in March 2021. She is the author of the Central Florida Happenings newsletter that goes out every Thursday.

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