BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — Thomas Fenech, accused by Boca Raton Police of shooting an AK-47 haphazardly into a parking lot — when a drug deal involving FAU students went bad — has been found guilty of second degree attempted murder.
He was booked back into the Palm Beach County Jail on Monday.
BocaNewsNow.com is awaiting word on his sentence.
The 20-year-old Seminole County native was a student at Palm Beach State College at the time of the late October, 2011 incident.
As we reported at the time:
On Sunday, October 30, at 8:23 p.m., Boca Raton Police officers responded to a report of shots fired in the area of the Oakwood Apartments, 1989 NW 4th Avenue.
When officers arrived, they found three victims in the parking lot of the Oakwood Apartments. One victim, identified as Andrew Hernandez, was shot in the face. The second victim, John Addison, was shot in the back. The third victim, Tyler Doyle, sustained minor injuries to his hand. Officers spoke with Doyle, who said the three of them, and three other friends, came to Boca to buy a quarter pound of marijuana using counterfeit money. Hernandez met with the suspects in the parking lot of Boca Heights Apartments, 399 NW 19th Street. Hernandez went inside an apartment with the suspects and came out a few minutes later, got into the passenger seat and said to Doyle, who was in the driver’s seat, “Go! Go! Go!” As they were driving away Doyle realized someone was shooting at them.
Doyle told officers he was unfamiliar with the area so he pulled into the parking lot of 1989 NW 4th Avenue. Doyle said everyone got out of the car and they started yelling for help. Doyle took the bag of marijuana and threw it into nearby bushes. Doyle told officers three other friends had come down with them in a separate car, but left prior to police arrival. Officers recovered the marijuana. Hernandez and Addison were taken to Delray Beach Medical Center.
Detectives executed a search warrant at the apartment at 399 NW 19th Street. Inside they found the counterfeit money, identification for Thomas Fenech, a rifle box, a receipt and shipping slip for the rifle, and a box of ammunition, similar to the 21 shell casings found outside the apartment. Detectives spoke with Alexander Moreno who admitted to brokering the drug deal with Hernandez at Fenech’s apartment. Moreno said Hernandez arrived and gave him about $1,200 for a quarter pound of marijuana. Hernandez took the marijuana and left. Moreno handed the money to Anthony Proios who looked at it then handed it to Fenech. Moreno said they realized the money was counterfeit. Fenech grabbed an AK-47 rifle, which was sitting nearby, went outside and began firing at Hernandez’s car, a Mustang. Moreno and two other friends returned to their dorm at FAU.
Detectives spoke with Jared Tuck, who was also present at the apartment during the drug deal. Tuck said after the shooting, he took possession of the rifle and put it in the trunk of Proios’s car. Tuck returned to his dorm room at FAU, where he was joined a short time later by Proios and Fenech, since police activity prevented them from returning to Fenech’s apartment. Tuck told detectives that on Monday, October 31, he and Proios met with Moreno who said two people had been shot during the incident. At this point, Tuck and Proios made the decision to dispose of the rifle. Tuck said they disassembled the rifle and threw it in a wooded area off the Beeline Highway.
Detectives arrested and charged Fenech with three counts of attempted second degree murder with a firearm and shooting into an occupied vehicle. Proios and Tuck are charged with accessory after the fact and tampering with physical evidence. Additional charges may be pending.
Court records show that prosecutors opted to not prosecute Jared Tuck. The case against Anthony Proios remains open.
