FAU Employee Attacks Couple, Threatens To Shoot Up Texas School, Arrested

by News Desk | Dec 5, 2022 · 6:59 pm | Boca Raton News

Raphael Lima Of Boca Raton Charged With Written Threats To Kill, Battery, And More

Last Updated: Mar 21, 2026 · 3:28 pm

Join the conversation.

Most reader discussion happens on our Facebook page. Follow Boca Post for breaking news and join the conversation.

Reach Boca Raton Readers When Legal Issues Arise

Appear alongside local arrest reports, lawsuits, and breaking coverage read daily across Boca Raton.

Connect your firm with readers actively following legal matters in the community.

Limited placements available. Boca Raton area firms only.

FAU Employee Attacks Couple, Threatens To Shoot Up Texas School, Arrested

Raphael Lima Of Boca Raton Charged With Written Threats To Kill, Battery, And More

Raphael Lima Of Boca Raton Charged With Written Threats To Kill, Battery, And More

Raphael Lima Of Boca Raton Charged With Written Threats To Kill, Battery, And More

BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) — Raphael Lima of Boca Raton, an FAU employee, has been arrested and charged with written threats to kill for comments about shooting up a Texas school.

Boca Raton Police responded to the Taco Bell on Palmetto Park Road shortly after 3 AM on Friday, December 2nd, 2022 in reference to an assault and battery. There, officers found two victims, a male, and a female, who were both attacked. The following is a summary of how the Police reported the incident:

Advertisement

Victim 1 told Officer Howard the following. They met an individual named “Raphaela” at a kava bar within the past few days through a mutual friend. It should be noted that “Raphaela” is transgender. “Raphaela” will be referred to by Lima for the remainder of t this report). This evening they planned to grab tacos together. They met in the FAU parking lot and got into Lima’s red BMW. Their intentions were to go to Brickyard in West Boca. Upon arrival, the business was closed, and they decided to go to the Taco Bell located at 1361 W Palmetto Park Rd, Boca Raton, FL.

While they were driving, they were discussing politics. Lima abruptly stopped the vehicle and told Victim 1 and Victim t 2 to get out of the car. Lima spits on Victim 2 while he is in the back seat. Victim 1 exited the car and went to where Victim 2 was sitting in the rear driver’s side. Lima then got out of the car and spit on Victim 1. Victim 1 spat back at Lima and walked more into the median. Lima followed Victim 1 and pushed her. Lima then kicked Victim 2 in the leg. Lima got into his red BMW and drove eastbound on west Palmetto Park Rd.

Victim 2 provided Officer Howard with a similar statement as victim 1. He had a small laceration to his left leg but refused medical attention. Victim 2 believed Lima was experiencing a manic episode because of his behavior. Victim 2 then told Officer Howard that Lima told him he was going to “shoot up” a school in Texas. While driving in the vehicle Lima told Victim 2 to play a particular song on the Bluetooth in the vehicle. After the song finished, Lima calls a friend, Luis, that resides in Texas, and recites lyrics on Luis’ voicemail. Once the phone call was terminated, Lima told victim 2 it was a friend who resides somewhere in Texas and has a daughter who goes to school there. Lima utters that he was going to acquire an unknown number of firearms and go to an unknown school in Texas and “shoot it up”. Lima specifically stated he was going to turn Luis’ daughter into “minced meat.” Lima also told Victim 2 that he was going to a tower, somewhere in Miami, and jumping from it to kill himself.

After Lima left the area in his vehicle, he started sending voice recordings to Victim 2 via Instagram. The voice recordings were of him admitting to pushing Victim 1, and that the Boca Police Department was not going to do anything to him because he knows the law. Some of the recordings were talking about Satan, Hitler, and how his ancestors consumed people. Lima also stated he did not care if he lived, died, or if he was on death row. Lima continued to send somewhere between 15-25 messages to Victim 2 consistently. Some messages had satanic symbols, such as “666.” One of the voice messages also advised he was going to shoot Boca Raton Police Officers with an AR-15 if they responded to his residence. Victim 2 blocked Lima’s Instagram to stop the influx of u messages.

Lima was taken into custody at his residence located at 1401 S Federal Hwy. He was transported to the Boca Raton Police Department where he was interviewed. Lima initially stated that when being taken into custody he contemplated “suicide by cop.” He was going to make an overt movement to make the Detective think that he had a weapon so he could kill him.

Advertisement

Lima provided a consistent story as Victim 1 and Victim 2. He was in an argument with them in his vehicle and stopped in the middle of the road on Palmetto Park Rd and kicked them out of the car. When brought up about the physical violence and the Instagram voice messages, Lima kept saying he could not remember because his subconscious must have blocked it out. After repeatedly saying he could not remember spitting or hitting them, I asked him why he spits and pushed them. Lima admitted that he was doing it to “troll them”.

Lima is currently in the custody of the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office with a bond set at $27,000. According to the arrest report and social media, Lima is employed as a Systems Administrator at FAU.

Right of Response

Boca Post reports on arrests and court filings based on publicly available records. Individuals or businesses named in this coverage who wish to provide additional context or an official statement may request publication of a response.

Silver Alert issued for missing 85-year-old in Naples

Silver Alert Issued for Missing 85-year-old in Naples

FDLE issued a Florida Silver Alert for an 85-year-old man reported missing from Naples in Collier County.

Boca Raton Restaurant Among 4 Emergency Closures In Palm Beach, Broward

Dirty Dining: Boca Raton Restaurant Among 4 Emergency Closures In Palm Beach, Broward

State records show four emergency restaurant closures in Palm Beach and Broward during the week ending March 29, including one in Boca Raton, while hundreds of inspections across the two counties turned up a long list of high-priority violations.

Boca Raton Police Department - Traffic Advisory

Lane Closures on Dixie Highway South of Glades Road After Crash, Boca Raton Police Say

Boca Raton Police issued a traffic advisory Monday afternoon after a crash closed one northbound lane and one southbound lane on Dixie Highway just south of Glades Road.

FDLE issues Missing Child Alert for 12-year-old girl last seen in Clermont

FDLE Issues Missing Child Alert for 12-year-old Girl Last Seen in Clermont

FDLE issued a Florida Missing Child Alert for 12-year-old Sofia Prendiville, last known to be in Clermont in Lake County.

Boca Raton Morning Weather Update: Breezy East Winds, Spotty Storms, And Dangerous Surf

Boca Raton Morning Weather Update: Breezy East Winds, Spotty Storms, and Dangerous Surf

Boca Raton stays breezy and seasonably warm today with a 50% chance of passing showers and a few thunderstorms. The bigger impact is at the beach and on the water: a high rip current risk continues through midweek, and hazardous boating conditions linger with elevated s…