A 65-year-old woman was stabbed to death inside a Barnes & Noble bookstore on Monday in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Police say the suspect admitted to the fatal attack, telling authorities that he experienced an “internal build up” causing him to stab the victim.
The suspect, 40-year-old Antonio Moore, is in custody after being charged with murder while police seek to determine a motive for the homicide, according to a report by WPTV.
The victim — identified as Rita Loncharich — was taken to a hospital, where she later died from her injuries, authorities told the outlet.
The fatal attack reportedly transpired at the Legacy Place shopping center in Palm Beach Gardens at around 8:00 p.m. on Monday.
Witnesses told police that Moore ran out of the bookstore after stabbing Loncharich, who was found by police unresponsive with a knife in her back, the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department’s probable cause affidavit revealed, according to a report by ABC News.
Moore was discovered in a wooded area near the Barnes & Noble and detained. Arrest records show that the 40-year-old man was taken into custody at around 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
The suspect later admitted to the fatal stabbing, telling police that he had an “internal build up that led to his fight or flight response kicking in with Rita being the closest person inside the store,” the affidavit reads.
Moore, who was reportedly found with the help of witness accounts and store surveillance footage, added that he stabbed Loncharich in the back with a fixed-blade knife, and that he heard the victim say, “He stabbed me,” before he ran out of the bookstore, according to the affidavit.
The suspect also told authorities that he arrived in Palm Beach Gardens on a bus from Georgia roughly a week before the attack, and went into the Barnes & Noble to charge his phone, ABC News reported.
A Legacy Place shopping center spokesperson told WPTV, “Police responded quickly and a suspect was taken into custody shortly after the incident,” adding, “We are working closely with local law enforcement, enhancing our on-site security presence, and reviewing protocols with tenants.”
Moore, who was charged with first-degree premeditated murder, made his first court appearance on Wednesday. The court reportedly found probable cause and ordered that he continue to be held without bond.
The suspect is set to make his next court appearance next month.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.