Shane Hamilton killed: Person of interest Kayleb Garfield in custody but not charged in teen's death
Baytown police identified the 19-year-old as part of an investigation into the Lee High School star athlete's killing on Jan. 10.
BAYTOWN, Texas (KTRK) -- It took a matter of just 24 hours for Baytown police to detain a person of interest in a star high school athlete's killing.
A check of Baytown Police Department records on Friday shows Kayleb Christopher Garfield, 19, was taken into custody at 6:05 p.m. on Thursday. Just the day before, Baytown PD identified him as the person of interest in the Jan. 10 death of 16-year-old Shane Hamilton.
Garfield was booked on an unrelated unlawful carry of a weapon count, records show.
A BPD release elaborated on Garfield arrest, stating that he and a second person were walking around an apartment complex with guns on Ward Road. Officers responded to the area and the two surrendered.
According to the release, Garfield's firearm came back as stolen and he was arrested for an active Harris County assault-family violence warrant. The fate of the other person, who was identified as a juvenile male, was not made clear.
Hamilton, a promising star athlete who attended Robert E. Lee High School in Goose Creek Consolidated ISD, was shot to death at the Park at Sorrento apartment complex where he and his family lived, police said.
On Wednesday, authorities released pictures of what appeared to be a dark colored Chevrolet Silverado truck that was seen entering and leaving the apartment complex at the time of the killing. Garfield's photo was also released.
Hamilton's mother said her son was at another school's basketball game that night when he ran into "enemies." She believes they followed him back home and shot him as he walked from his friend's apartment, who lives in the same complex.
Investigators have not said how Garfield is related to the case or to Hamilton.
An investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with information on the case is urged to contact Baytown PD at 281-422-8371 or Baytown Crime Stoppers at 281-427-TIPS (8477).
SEE ALSO: Star athlete's murder in Baytown 1 of 3 homicides since the start of 2023, police department says
