PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL – A 65-year-old woman was fatally stabbed inside a Barnes & Noble bookstore Monday evening in what police are calling an apparently random attack that has left investigators searching for answers.
Rita Loncharich was browsing at the Legacy Place shopping center location around 8 p.m. when Antonio Moore, 40, allegedly approached and stabbed her. Witnesses watched in horror as the attack unfolded in the middle of the bookstore.
Moore fled the scene but was captured by police shortly afterward. He now faces first-degree premeditated murder charges and remains in custody at the Palm Beach County Jail.
Loncharich was found suffering from stab wounds inside the store. First responders rushed her to a local hospital, but doctors couldn’t save her. She was pronounced dead from her injuries.
Her husband told local reporters that Rita had called him Monday night to say she’d been attacked. It was the last time they spoke.
Palm Beach Gardens Police have been tight-lipped about what led to the deadly encounter, saying only that the investigation remains “active and ongoing.” Detectives are still working to determine any connection between the suspect and victim, or whether the attack was completely random.
“Investigators are still trying to determine a motive for this attack,” police said in a statement.
The killing has shaken shoppers and employees at the popular shopping center, where violent crime is relatively rare. Legacy Place management issued a statement expressing condolences to Loncharich’s family and announcing enhanced security measures.
“We are deeply saddened by this incident and our hearts go out to the victim’s loved ones,” management said. “We are enhancing our on-site security presence and reviewing protocols with tenants.”
Moore is scheduled for his first court appearance Wednesday morning. If convicted of first-degree murder, he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
