Homeless Florida Man Charged With Murder After Fatally Stabbing Elderly Woman At Barnes & Noble Bookstore

Antonio Moore has been charged after stabbing the victim, who he did not know, in the back

A Florida man, Antonio Moore, has been arrested and charged with first-degree premeditated murder after allegedly stabbing a woman at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Palm Beach Gardens.

According to WPTV, Moore is accused of stabbing 65-year-old Rita Loncharich on Dec. 22, shortly before 8 p.m. The victim was stabbed in the back with a knife and was taken to a local hospital, where she died from the wound.

Moore, who ran out of the store after the incident, was captured shortly after the stabbing and was booked the next morning at approximately 5:30 a.m. and is being held without bond. He was caught in the woods, approximately 1,500 feet from the Barnes & Noble. Police located him after speaking with multiple witnesses and reviewing surveillance footage from inside the store.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Onsite!® (@its_onsite)

Legacy Place, where the bookstore is located, issued a statement.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of a customer following an incident on property. Our hearts are with the victim’s family, friends and all those impacted. Police responded quickly and a suspect was taken into custody shortly after the incident. Safety remains our top priority. We are working closely with local law enforcement, enhancing our on-site security presence and reviewing protocols with tenants.”

Police officers stated that Moore told investigators that he had just arrived in Palm Beach Gardens about a week ago after taking a bus from Georgia, and he also told them that he is homeless. The arrest affidavit said that he admitted that while sitting inside the store charging his phone, he approached Loncharich and stabbed her in the back with a pocket knife.

Moore said he had no motive for the attack and had no prior interaction with her. In the affidavit, Moore reportedly said the attack was an “internal buildup” that triggered a “fight or flight response,” and that the victim was the closest person to him at the time.

He told police officers that he remembered Loncharich saying, “He stabbed me,” and that she was seemingly in shock from the attack.

He was scheduled to make his first appearance Dec. 24 at the Palm Beach County Jail.