PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against the owner and managers of Legacy Place shopping center and Barnes & Noble in Palm Beach Gardens following the fatal stabbing of a woman inside the bookstore on December 22, 2025.
Rita Loncharich was stabbed in the back with a knife while shopping at the Barnes & Noble at 11380 Legacy Ave. at approximately 7:53 p.m., according to the complaint filed May 19 in Palm Beach County Circuit Court. She died the same day.
Antonio Moore has been identified as the alleged attacker.
The lawsuit, with Morgan & Morgan, P.A. representing Loncharich's husband, cites Palm Beach Gardens Police Department records showing a "recurring pattern" of documented incidents at the Barnes & Noble location between Feb. 27, 2021, and Sept. 24, 2025.
These included 16 calls coded as "Unwanted Guest," 23 calls for shoplifting, nine calls for "Suspicious Person," eight welfare checks, four suspicious incidents, and 14 general police service calls.
"What we expect or expect there to be by Barnes & Noble is an evaluation of these crimes and reasonable solutions," said Thomas Hasty, a South Florida general liability manager for Morgan & Morgan. "What's a reasonable solution? Have a security guard patrolling the parking lot, and when you see people who are there for no business purpose, ask them to leave politely."
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The complaint alleges Legacy Place had a well-documented history of safety problems, including regular loitering by homeless and transient individuals, harassment of customers, and drug activity on the premises.
According to the lawsuit, on the morning of Dec. 22, Moore was found sleeping in front of Total Wine & More at Legacy Place. The complaint states Total Wine management contacted Legacy Place property management requesting Moore's removal, and property management contacted law enforcement.
Moore left before police arrived but later entered Barnes & Noble, charged his phone, made no purchase, and remained in the store before the alleged attack.
"This case was preventable," Hasty said. "Antonio Moore said that he had a sudden urge to kill our client. It was too late, he should not have been allowed to come onto this property, shouldn't have been allowed to stay there for the extended period of time."
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The lawsuit names four defendants for alleged negligence. LSREF6 Legacy, LLC, the Dallas-based owner of Legacy Place, and Trademark Property Company Florida, the Fort Worth-based property management company, are both named. Ana Torres, the on-site property manager for Legacy Place, and Barnes & Noble, Inc., the national bookstore chain, are also defendants.
Each defendant is accused of failing to provide adequate security, remove dangerous individuals, and warn patrons of known safety risks.
"If you hire a security guard to chase away people who shouldn't be on your property, you don't get a situation where those people are now in the Barnes & Noble with the opportunity to attack and kill my client," said Hasty.
Hasty described the toll Rita Loncharich's death has taken on his client, her husband.
"Rita was everything to him. Rita took care of him day and night, supported him. They've been together for over 20 years. They met in Peru. Rita was brilliant. She was a chemist and an avid reader," said Hasty. "She was loved everywhere."
Moore is being held in the Palm Beach County Jail and is awaiting trial. No date has been set.
WPTV has reached out to the defendants named in the complaint.
A representative of Trademark Property Company sent WPTV this statement: "We cannot comment on ongoing legal matters."
*Portions of this story were assisted by artificial intelligence tools and reviewed by a WPTV journalist to ensure accuracy, clarity, and adherence to editorial standards.
