BOSTON, July 30, 2012—A Boston man was held today after Boston Police returned him here from California and Suffolk prosecutors arraigned him on a murder charge for the April death of James A. Taylor, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ANTWAN WATHEY (D.O.B. 9/24/87) of Dorchester is accused of intentionally driving his 2000 Mazda Millennia at Taylor, who was walking on Talbot Avenue, striking and killing the 20-year-old on the early morning of April 13. At the request of Assistant District Attorney Michael Callahan, Dorchester District Court Judge Robert Baylor ordered Wathey held without bail.

Callahan told the court that Wathey and Taylor had an ongoing dispute dating back almost a year and that the two men, along with some of their respective friends, encountered one another at about 1:20 a.m. as Taylor walked down Talbot Avenue and Wathey stood near his car near the Norwell Street intersection.

Callahan said the two men argued briefly and then engaged in a physical altercation. As Taylor and an associate walked away, Callahan said, Taylor showed a knife but was at leats 10 feet away from the Wathey when he did so.

Taylor and the associate continued walking on Talbot Avenue toward Blue Hill Avenue, crossing the street as they reached Westcott Street. At about that point, Callahan said, Wathey’s vehicle accelerated at a high rate of speed in their direction, veered toward Taylor, and struck him.

The car did not slow or stop and proceeded onto Bernard Street before leaving the area entirely, Callahan said. Taylor suffered fatal trauma to his head and body. He was pronounced dead of those injuries later the same morning at Boston Medical Center.

Boston Police detectives later recovered the defendant’s car, which had damage to its body consistent with debris at the scene. Additionally, Wathey allegedly admitted to others that he was driving the car at the time of the collision that killed Taylor.

Wathey did not return to his home after the incident. Boston Police recently obtained information regarding his location and this weekend arrested him in Tarzana, California. They returned him to Boston yesterday.

Wathey is represented by attorney Anthony Ellison. He will return to court on Sept. 5.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.