A 65-year-old woman was stabbed to death inside a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on Monday evening in what authorities describe as an unprovoked attack by a stranger.
Rita B. Loncharich was found with a knife in her back at the store located at 11380 Legacy Avenue around 7:53 p.m. on December 22, 2025. Officers from the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department immediately began lifesaving efforts at the scene before fire rescue transported her to St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach.
Despite emergency medical intervention, Loncharich died during surgery at 9:22 p.m.
The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Antonio R. Moore, fled on foot after the stabbing. Officers quickly located and arrested Moore approximately 1,500 feet from the store entrance near Fairchild Avenue and Campus Drive. He was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Palm Beach County Jail at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
Moore has been charged with first-degree premeditated murder and is being held without bond. He made his initial court appearance on Wednesday.
During a recorded interview with investigators, Moore confessed to stabbing Loncharich. He told detectives there had been no prior interaction with the victim and offered no clear motive for the attack. Moore stated that Loncharich was simply the closest person in the store at the time.
Moore cited what he described as an internal buildup that triggered a fight or flight response. According to authorities, Moore told investigators he heard the victim say, “He stabbed me,” before fleeing the bookstore.
Following the attack, Loncharich managed to call her husband, Stuart, from inside the store to tell him she had been stabbed. Stuart Loncharich spoke with reporters off-camera at the couple’s home in Stuart, Florida, expressing shock over the random nature of the violence. “It’s terrible that anybody can’t walk into a regular store without being fearful of being stabbed,” he said.
Moore had arrived in the Palm Beach Gardens area by bus from Georgia about a week before the attack. Prior to coming to Florida, he had been in Alabama.
The Barnes & Noble store is located in the Legacy Place shopping center, a popular retail destination in Palm Beach Gardens. The incident occurred on a Monday evening during the busy holiday shopping season, leaving shoppers and community members deeply shaken.
Local customers expressed fear and sadness over the attack. One Barnes & Noble customer from Jupiter Farms told local media her heart went out to the family affected and the community, adding that she never expected this type of situation to happen at the bookstore.
Additional witnesses and customers shared similar sentiments about the shocking nature of the crime. One customer named Carol Finger described feeling very distressed and upset about the incident, calling it a terrible thing. Quinn Davis, another Barnes & Noble customer, said the attack was “gut-wrenching” and something people don’t expect to happen.
A customer named Rebekkah expressed disbelief that violence would occur in such a setting. She told reporters it was shocking for someone to lose their life in a place like a bookstore.
The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deadly attack. Authorities have not disclosed additional details about Moore’s background or mental state at the time of the incident.
Barnes & Noble, when contacted by media outlets, declined to comment on the matter, citing the ongoing police investigation.
The seemingly random nature of the attack has raised concerns among residents and shoppers in the affluent Palm Beach County community. The incident marks a rare occurrence of violent crime in the typically quiet shopping district.
Moore’s charge of first-degree premeditated murder carries significant legal weight in Florida, where prosecutors must prove the defendant had a conscious decision to commit murder before the act. The premeditated designation distinguishes the charge from other forms of homicide and can carry severe penalties, including life imprisonment.
As the investigation continues, detectives are working to piece together Moore’s movements in the week leading up to the attack and any potential factors that may have contributed to the violence. The fact that he had recently arrived in the area and reportedly had no connection to the victim has complicated efforts to establish a clear timeline of events.
The Palm Beach Gardens community has rallied around Loncharich’s family in the aftermath of the tragedy. Local residents have expressed an outpouring of sympathy for the victim and her loved ones while grappling with the unsettling reality that such violence occurred in their neighborhood.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about the case to contact the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department at 561-799-4584. Investigators continue to review surveillance footage from the bookstore and interview potential witnesses who were present during the attack.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of random violence and its devastating impact on victims, families and communities. As Moore awaits further court proceedings, the family and friends of Rita B. Loncharich are left to mourn the loss of a woman whose life was cut short during what should have been an ordinary evening of holiday shopping.
Sources:
https://cbs12.com/news/local/man-accused-of-stabbing-woman-to-death-inside-barnes-noble-in-palm-beach-gardens-police-department-palm-beach-county-south-florida-news-true-crime-december-23-2025
https://nypost.com/2025/12/24/us-news/christmas-shopper-was-stabbed-to-death-by-mentally-ill-homeless-man-in-barnes-amp-noble-cops/
https://www.wafb.com/2025/12/24/man-accused-killing-woman-barnes-noble-because-she-was-closest-person-inside-store-police-say/
https://fox17.com/news/nation-world/stabbing-suspect-faces-first-degree-murder-after-woman-killed-at-barnes-noble-in-florida-palm-beach-county-palm-beach-gardens-police-department-south-florida-news-11380-legacy-avenue-december-24-2025
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https://cbs12.com/news/local/stabbing-suspect-faces-first-degree-murder-after-woman-killed-at-barnes-noble-in-florida-palm-beach-county-palm-beach-gardens-police-department-south-florida-news-11380-legacy-avenue-december-24-2025