On Sept. 20, one man was killed and another barely survived as they apparently were trying to be Good Samaritans in Boca Raton.
Just before 5 p.m., according to court records, 30-year-old De’Vante Lashawn Moss ran from Room 101 at 365 Ocean, an extended stay hotel on the beach just north of Palmetto Park Road. Chasing him was 32-year-old Chandler Dill. She was wearing only a black tank top and was yelling at Moss to “give me my stuff!” Moss was holding a black Juicy Couture purse.
As Moss got into the driver’s seat of his silver Jaguar, Dill began punching him. Forty-nine-year-old Christopher Liszak, who had been staying in Room 102, got into the front passenger seat and also started hitting Moss. Another bystander tried to pull the purse from Moss.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Moss got out and took a “small item” from the back seat. He returned to the front seat. Dill backed away and got what “appeared to be a gun.” Moss had “brandished” his own gun.
Moss then shot Dill three times, in the neck, arm and back, killing her. He shot Liszak once in the chest, killing him. He shot the second bystander, whose name is being withheld under Marsy’s Law, three times—even as the man was on the ground raising his hands.
The purse was on the ground when investigators arrived. They went to Moss’ address in south Boynton Beach and questioned his fiancée. She told them that Moss had left at about 5:30 for a “business trip” to Jacksonville.
Roughly 12 hours later, authorities in Laurens County, Georgia, detained Moss. Boca Raton police had put out the license plate of the Jaguar. After a delay, Moss was extradited to Palm Beach County.
He faces two counts of premeditated first-degree murder and one count of attempted premeditated first-degree murder. Moss had his first hearing Oct. 5. The next will be Nov. 14.
Little is known about the circumstances that brought those four people to the hotel at that time, or about the people themselves. Dill had rented Room 101 the day before and had extended the reservation until Sept. 21. Liszak had rented 102 on Sept. 9 for two weeks. Both are from Broward County. I had written previously about Moss’s federal and state criminal arrests on drug charges.
Moss must enter a plea. The state attorney’s office must decide whether it wants to seek the death penalty. I’ll have more as the case proceeds.
Boca approves variance for controversial oceanfront house
After debate that lasted two-and-a-half hours Tuesday night, the Boca Raton City Council approved a variance that would allow construction of a home one of the last private oceanfront lots in the city.
The vote was 4-1, with Councilman Andy Thomson dissenting. Dozens of speakers, most of whom live in two condo communities across A1A from the site at 2600 N. Ocean Blvd., asked council members to deny the variance. No one except the attorney for Azure Development spoke in favor of the project.
Criticism was harsh. One speaker called it a “turtle-killing box,” a “dune-imploding monstrosity” and a “dastardly dwelling.” Another said allowing it would be “unconscionable.” Another said it would make Boca Raton look like Miami Beach.
As attorney Robert Sweetapple noted, though, this was a quasi-judicial hearing. Council members could not base their decision on personal preference or public opinion. The only issue was whether the developer had met the standard for permission to build east of the Coastal Construction Control Line, which the state established to protect the shore from development that could damage the beach environment.
According to city staff, Azure had done so. This design is much smaller than the one for which Azure sought a variance in 2019. The council denied it, after which Azure sued, claiming illegal collusion among staff, elected officials and at least one member of an advisory board.
To make its case, Azure filed a separate lawsuit seeking public records. As I read the court file, the city’s botched handling of that lawsuit gave Azure leverage. The city lost the lawsuit. A settlement led to Tuesday’s hearing. The settlement depended on the council granting the variance.
Thomson was on the council that unanimously denied the variance five years ago. He voted no again because of the presentation by an attorney for one of those neighboring condos. Such a variance application, the attorney said, must meet six standards. Thomson agreed that this application didn’t.
Mayor Scott Singer, the only other council holdover, tried to stress the lessened impact on sea turtles. The turtle conservation coordinator at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center acknowledged that there would be “less concern” but added, “There is still concern.” Any structure “deters” females from nesting and can make it hard for hatchlings to reach the water.
None of Thomson’s colleagues liked voting yes. Councilwoman Fran Nachlas called it “a tough night.” Singer called it “an unpleasant moment for me.” All, though, said denial could amount to an illegal taking of property rights. And there was that settlement.
Yet the judge, in ruling against Boca Raton in the public records case, found that the city had not committed such a “taking.” It seems that Sweetapple outmaneuvered the city’s legal department under City Attorney Diana Frieser. She leaves office at the end of the month after 25 years.
Azure still needs a state permit. The developer obtained one for the larger project, so this one seems likely.
Improvements to Sanborn Square and Mizner Park
Fun fact: The most stolen pieces from the giant chess set in Boca Raton’s Mizner Park are knights.
This emerged from a discussion about improvements to the park and to Sanborn Square. Council members have made such improvements a priority, along with making it easier to get downtown and get around.
Among other things, the city is sprucing up the Mizner Park fountains, planting new landscaping, restoring the gazebo and adding pavers to the walkways. Lighting and irrigation system also are getting once-overs. Benches and trash bins are being repainted. New umbrellas, tables and chairs—in new colors —are coming.
Meanwhile, Sanborn Square has new umbrellas. Historic plaques and busts and their stands have been restored.
Emergency repairs for Camino Gardens bridge
At the end of Tuesday’s meeting, City Manager George Brown said there had been a “bridge failure” in the East Boca Raton neighborhood of Camino Gardens. Emergency repairs costing between $2 million and $4 million would begin soon, with an estimated completion date of four to six weeks.
Wednesday afternoon, however, a city spokeswoman said there had been no “bridge failure.” She said the stretch of Cypress Way between Maypop Court and Tulip Tree Lane had been closed on Oct. 2 “due to a water main break.” Though the bridge is “structurally sound,” the approach “sustained damage and requires repairs to prevent further damage.” She added, “A detour is in place.”
