The widower of a Barnes & Noble shopper who was allegedly stabbed to loss of life by a deranged homeless man is suing the proprietor and managers of the Florida shopping center and the e-book large.
Jorge Loncharich’s spouse, Rita, was murdered following a “recurring sample” of disturbing incidents on the buying heart, in response to a wrongful loss of life lawsuit filed on his behalf on Tuesday in Palm Seaside County Circuit Court docket.
The 65-year-old was studying {a magazine} on the Barnes & Noble whereas Christmas buying when she was killed in a frenzied knife assault by a mentally ailing homeless man on the night of Dec. 22, 2025, in response to officers.
Antonio Moore, who was 40 on the time of the assault, had arrived in Florida simply days earlier after boarding a bus from Georgia, in response to an affidavit.
The Barnes & Noble department on the Legacy Place buying heart in Palm Seaside Gardens noticed greater than 60 documented police incidents in lower than 5 years, in response to the lawsuit filed by Morgan & Morgan P.A. on behalf of Loncharich.
These included 16 calls coded as “Undesirable Visitor,” 23 shoplifting calls, 9 for “Suspicious Individual,” eight welfare checks, 4 suspicious incidents, and 14 common police calls, in response to the lawsuit, citing Palm Seaside Gardens PD data.
Legacy Place and the Barnes & Noble location particularly additionally had a long-standing sample of prison exercise, loitering, trespassing, and confrontations involving transient and homeless individuals, the grievance alleges.
“Defendants, their brokers, workers, and/or servants, had precise or constructive information of a historical past of prison exercise on and within the neighborhood of the premises… and knew or ought to have recognized that there was a chance for prison conduct,” the grievance states.
The go well with, which seeks damages exceeding $50,000 and a trial by jury below the Florida Wrongful Loss of life Act, names 4 defendants: property proprietor LSREF6 Legacy LLC, property supervisor Trademark Property Firm Florida, on-site property supervisor Ana Torres, and retailer operator Barnes & Noble, Inc.
Every is accused of failing to supply satisfactory safety, failing to deal with recognized security dangers, and failing to guard invitees from foreseeable prison acts.
“The Defendants knew or… ought to have recognized that their failure to implement and/or implement satisfactory safety measures may lead to critical harm or loss of life,” the lawsuit states.
On the morning of Dec. 22, Moore was discovered sleeping in entrance of Complete Wine & Extra at Legacy Place, and administration requested his removing.
Property administration known as the police, and Moore left earlier than they arrived, later returning and coming into Barnes & Noble, charging his telephone and making no buy forward of the assault.
Neither LSREF6 Legacy LLC, Trademark Property Firm Florida, or Barnes & Noble responded instantly to requests for remark.
An computerized electronic mail response from Ana Torres said that Legacy Place is now below new possession and administration and directed enquiries to the brand new property supervisor.
Moore admitted to not understanding Loncharich or having a motive for the stabbing, stating that he attacked her simply because she was the closest particular person to him, in response to court docket data seen by WPBF.
Loncharich managed to name her husband and inform him she’d been stabbed earlier than she was rushed to a close-by hospital and pronounced lifeless that very same night time.
Moore was seen working off to close by woods on the shop’s surveillance cameras, and he was shortly arrested, police stated.
The state is not going to search the loss of life penalty in opposition to Moore, in response to court docket data launched final month, though he faces doable life in jail if discovered responsible.
“I’d guess that the rationale why the state will not be searching for the loss of life penalty right here is as a result of the suspect’s psychological well being. It’s unconstitutional to execute somebody who’s mentally disabled,” former Florida State Lawyer Aronberg advised WPBF on the time.
Moore is at present being held within the Palm Seaside County Jail on prices of first-degree homicide and has pleaded not responsible.
He’s awaiting trial, though no date has been set.
