65-Year-Old Woman Stabbed to Death Inside a Florida Barnes and Noble

A 65-year-old woman was stabbed to death inside a Barnes & Noble bookstore Monday night in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, prompting a large police response and the arrest of a suspect who authorities say later admitted to the fatal attack, as reported by Breitbart.

According to police and court records, the victim, Rita Loncharich, was attacked inside the Barnes & Noble location at the Legacy Place shopping center at approximately 8:00 p.m. on Monday.

She was transported to a hospital, where she later died from her injuries, authorities said.

A 65-year-old woman was stabbed to death inside a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Monday evening.

Antonio Moore, 40, is in custody as investigators work to determine a motive. pic.twitter.com/KUOsCmYM0O

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) December 23, 2025

Palm Beach Gardens police identified the suspect as Antonio Moore, 40. Moore was taken into custody early Tuesday morning and later charged with first-degree premeditated murder.

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According to a probable cause affidavit cited by ABC News, witnesses told police they saw Moore run out of the bookstore immediately after the stabbing.

Officers responding to the scene found Loncharich unresponsive with a knife in her back.

Police launched a search for the suspect and located Moore in a wooded area near the bookstore. Arrest records show he was detained at approximately 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Investigators said Moore later admitted to stabbing Loncharich.

In statements to police, Moore said he experienced an “internal build up” that triggered a “fight or flight response” and that Loncharich was “the closest person inside the store,” according to the affidavit.

Moore told investigators he stabbed the victim in the back with a fixed-blade knife and claimed he heard her say, “He stabbed me,” before he ran out of the store, the affidavit states.

Authorities also said Moore told police he had arrived in Palm Beach Gardens on a bus from Georgia roughly one week before the attack. He reportedly entered the bookstore to charge his phone, according to the ABC News report.

The stabbing occurred inside the Legacy Place shopping center, a mixed-use retail area in Palm Beach Gardens.

A spokesperson for Legacy Place told WPTV, “Police responded quickly, and a suspect was taken into custody shortly after the incident.”

The spokesperson added, “We are working closely with local law enforcement, enhancing our on-site security presence, and reviewing protocols with tenants.”

Moore made his first court appearance on Wednesday. The court found probable cause for the charge and ordered that he be held without bond. He is scheduled to make his next court appearance next month.

The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue reviewing witness statements and surveillance footage related to the fatal stabbing.

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