Lawsuit Alleges Security Failures at Mall Where Woman Was Stabbed

A wrongful death lawsuit filed Tuesday in Palm Beach County Circuit Court alleges that the Legacy Place shopping center in Palm Beach Gardens failed to address a recurring pattern of security incidents before the December 2025 stabbing death of Rita Loncharich.

The suit states that the Barnes & Noble location recorded more than 60 police calls in less than five years, including 16 coded as "Unwanted Guest," 23 shoplifting calls, nine for "Suspicious Person," eight welfare checks, four suspicious incidents, and 14 general calls.

It further claims the property had a long-standing pattern of criminal activity, loitering, trespassing, and confrontations involving transient and homeless individuals.

Rita Loncharich, 65, was reading a magazine inside the Barnes & Noble on the evening of Dec. 22, 2025, when she was stabbed by Antonio Moore, then 40. Moore had arrived in Florida days earlier after traveling by bus from Georgia. He was arrested shortly after the attack after surveillance video showed him running into nearby woods.

Loncharich called her husband, Jorge Loncharich, to report the stabbing before being taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead that night. Moore told investigators he did not know the victim and attacked her because she was the closest person to him.

Court records indicate the state will not seek the death penalty, citing mental health considerations, though Moore faces possible life in prison if convicted.

The complaint names four defendants: property owner LSREF6 Legacy LLC, property manager Trademark Property Company Florida, on-site property manager Ana Torres, and store operator Barnes & Noble, Inc. It accuses each of failing to implement adequate security measures despite knowledge of prior incidents.

The suit seeks damages exceeding $50,000 and a jury trial under the Florida Wrongful Death Act. An automatic email response from Ana Torres stated that Legacy Place is now under new ownership and management. Moore is currently held in the Palm Beach County Jail on first-degree murder charges and has pleaded not guilty, with no trial date set.