Rita Loncharich, 65, was stabbed to death in a seemingly unprovoked attack while Christmas shopping at a Barnes & Noble in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on Monday, December 22
A 65 year old woman was fatally stabbed in what appeared to be an unprovoked attack whilst Christmas shopping.
Officers discovered the victim, named as Rita Loncharich, unconscious with a knife lodged in her back, lying in a pool of blood on the Barnes and Noble shop floor Palm Beach Gardens shortly before 8pm EST on Monday. She was “immediately rendered aid” before being rushed by Fire Rescue to St. Mary’s Medical Centre, where she died during surgery, according to the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department and local outlet CBS12.
The suspect allegedly ran off on foot straight after carrying out the attack. Authorities used shop CCTV footage and witness accounts describing the attacker to track them down.
Police said they located the suspect, named as 40 year old Antonio Moore, shortly afterwards in woodland near the shop wearing clothing that matched the description given by witnesses and seen in the video footage, according to the probable cause affidavit. He was detained and admitted to the crime, police said.
The next day, Moore was remanded in custody without bail after being charged with first-degree premeditated murder, according to police and court records. He reportedly informed police that he had arrived in the area roughly a week before the incident on a bus from Georgia and was in the shop charging his mobile phone before eventually admitting to carrying out the attack, according to the affidavit, reports the Mirror US.
Moore allegedly told authorities that the assault stemmed from an “internal build-up that led to his fight or flight response kicking in with Rita being the closest person inside the store.” He appeared in court for the first time on Wednesday and is due back in January, according to local news outlet CBS12.
Barnes and Noble’s press office confirmed the company would not comment on an active police investigation following the fatal attack.
Local shoppers at the chain bookshop expressed their disbelief over the news to CBS12. “It’s terrible that anybody can’t walk into a regular store without being fearful of being stabbed,” one customer told CBS12.
Another customer added to CBS12: “My heart goes up to the family affected and, you know, the community itself I never really thought about this type of situation happening.”
