Boca Theater and Automation (“BTA”) the premier provider of turn-key, custom built luxury A/V and building automation systems in South Florida, announced today that it will be relocating its corporate headquarters and Technology Experience Center to a brand new state-of-the-art facility in Boca Raton, Florida. West Boca locals may remember them in their previous location next door to Ben’s Deli in The Reserve shopping center at 441 and Clint Moore.
“This move is a milestone in the evolution of our business,” said BTA’s CEO and Founder Jeff Galea. “We reached a turning point that necessitated choosing a new location that would not only accommodate our growing team, but also better serve our customers. We can now showcase the top of the line systems we are proud to provide, and demonstrate the value we bring to these solutions. We could not have taken this company to the next level without the incredible support of our customers, the talented BTA staff, and the close relationships we have cultivated with the manufacturers with whom we partner.”
The new 8,500 sq. ft. facility located in Hamptons Plaza (on the southwest corner of Lyons and Kimberly) features the latest technology for collaboration with BTA’s customers and partners. Featuring audiovisual displays capable of demonstrating BTA’s cutting edge integration techniques, a fabrication facility designed for enhanced productivity and quality assurance, and a workspace for employees that maximizes the flow of information through the use of the latest networking technologies, BTA is poised to transform the luxury A/V industry. The former Wells Fargo Building was also retrofitted with premier LED and solar lighting throughout, providing an energy efficient and optimal lighting environment for our customers and staff.
“This new facility is equipped with all the necessary resources for our experienced in-house staff to have complete flexibility in testing, designing, installing, and supporting customized integrated solutions for our clients nationwide,” said BTA’s General Manager, David Vranicar. “This high-quality workspace will help us continue to attract and retain the most qualified talent in the industry.”
BTA’s new Technology Experience Center and corporate address is 9020 Kimberly Blvd., Boca Raton, Florida 33434.
About BTA:
Boca Theater and Automation is a premier provider of turn-key custom built, luxury A/V and building automation systems in South Florida. They create easy to use systems that simplify your life, increase safety and save energy. Founded in 2001 by Jeff Galea, BTA is focused on delivering luxury A/V and building automation systems to residential and commercial properties. The systems integrate entertainment, lighting, shading, climate, communications, security and life safety controls into your home or office environment.
For more information about Boca Theater and Automation visit www.bocatheater.com or call 561-999-9024.
This article was sponsored by Boca Theater and Automation.
Tag: kimberly
West Boca Shooting: Details and Photos
Sunday there were reports of a shooting in the Boca Fontana neighborhood, on the 7600 block of Majorca Place. This area is east of 441 on the south side of Kimberly (between Yamato and Glades), and not far from Boca Greens, Southwinds Golf Course and Olympic Heights High School.
Details from official sources are limited, and the people involved aren’t talking. The official story so far is that a resident was confronted by robbers and used a pistol in self defense, accidentally hitting a neighbor in the process. Oddly some of the reports identify the shooter as the “victim.”
We went to the scene Monday afternoon. As you can see in the picture on top, the media was there. This was well over 12 hours after the shooting, and nothing was going on.
One notable detail is a bullet hole in the neighbor’s house:
The following photo gives a better feel for the scene, with the shooter’s home to the right and the neighbor’s house across the street on the far left:
The two houses are mirror-image single floor models even with a similar color scheme. The bullet hole is in the vertical blue stripe between the garage and the front door, a few feet above the horizontal stripe and a few feet below the roof line.
Considering the height of the bullet hole, it would appear that the shooter fired at least two rounds, and not very accurately. It is possible that one of the rounds hit one of the robbers, though we haven’t heard anything further. Reports indicate the robbers got away.
We believe we have identified the shooter, a 72-year-old man who runs a business out of the home. We are not publishing his name yet because the Sheriff has expressed concerns that the robbers might target him. Similarly the shooting victim has not been named, though we understand he is in his 30s, married with a young child (note the toy near the front door). The property is owned by an investor group that acquired it in 2013 and owns at least one other house on the street. It was rented out in December of 2013, though one source tells us the shooting victim is a new tenant so the 2013 tenant may have been replaced.
The shooter’s house is owned by another 70+ woman who appears to have immigrated from Japan many years ago. Their relationship is unclear but they’ve both been in this house for a long time. We see no criminal history for the shooter, other than a few minor traffic tickets.
One story we’ve heard is that the shooter was coming home from some kind of event, perhaps a jewelry show. He does own a business that would fit with going to jewelry shows, though we can’t find any record of such an event that day. In this version of events, the “bad guys” followed him home to rob him, and he defended himself.
We can’t say this version of events is false of course. But we should also recognize that this area has some crime, as you can see in the crime map below (showing more than 10 burglaries, along with thefts, car break-ins and more reported from March 1 through April 6):
Also, the story does not seem consistent with how the Sheriff initially reported the story:
A later version we heard from the Sheriff was a little closer:
Victim was returning home from work when he was approached by unknown suspects. In an attempt to protect himself he armed himself with a handgun. During the course of the attempted robbery the victim discharged his firearm. Gunfire accidently struck a nearby neighbor.
The shooting is shown on the lower left of that image, marked in the assault category with the word shooting in the description. Note that the alleged robbery is not included in the crime map data. Zip code 33434 has a very low crime rate but that is mainly because it includes the gated and mostly senior communities of Century Village and Boca West.
A shooter in cases like this will often be prosecuted, at least for negligence in how he handled his firearm if not for something more serious. In firearms training one learns not only to be sure of your target but also to know what’s behind your target. Keep in mind that Palm Beach County voted heavily Democrat in the last four or five presidential elections, and our county prosecutor went after retired dentist Wayne Tover in a shooting incident on Glades Road where Tover actually hit his target. The fact that this shooter is being treated differently makes us wonder if he has connections to police or others in government.
The Boca Fontana shooter is also likely to face a civil suit from his neighbor, and that looks like a strong case for the shooting victim. It shouldn’t be too hard to find a lawyer to take that case.
Fortunately for all involved the shooting victim appears to be recovering well.
4 Arrests in 2014 for Ricardo Tincel
West Boca youth Ricardo Tincel (18) was arrested Thursday for the fourth time in 2014. This arrest was on grand theft charges. In October he was picked up for another grand theft. These are both felony charges and are generally considered serious. The October case has not been resolved yet and remains open.
There were two other minor arrests this year. In September he was arrested in Broward accused of resisting without violence (often a bogus charge). And back in January he was arrested for marijuana along with some traffic charges.
Tincel’s reported address is in the American Homes neighborhood north of Kimberly and east of 441. We were not able to determine what high school he attended (or attends) but the address is zoned for Olympic Heights.
Mr. Tincel remains in custody at this writing, more than 24 hours after he was first booked.
Repeat Felon Steals Girlfriend's Checks?
Charles Brice Nelson (above, 23) was arrested on Wednesday and charged with five separate counts including two traffic tickets, two felony counts of fraud, and one count of felony grand theft. He remains in custody at this writing on $18,000 bond.
Per the Palm Beach Post, Nelson allegedly stole checks from a girlfriend and used them to pay off personal debts. It should be noted that Mr. Nelson apparently denies doing so, and he is innocent at this stage of the legal process.
Mr. Nelson has a significant criminal history in the county. He’s had several traffic tickets in just a few years, and in addition he had felony arrests in 2012 and 2013. The 2012 felony arrest involved an aggravated assault charge and a second count that court records show as either “burglary with assault” or “robbery with weapon.” The latter charge was dropped, Nelson was adjudicated guilty of the assault and he was sentenced to a year in jail and 4 years of probation. That probation was later revoked.
With that sentence in mind, it’s odd that his 2013 felony arrest, for grand theft, involves an offense date before that one-year sentence would have been completed. Court records show he was adjudicated guilty in the 2013 case and was sentenced to “364 days” concurrent with the first sentence, and it shows no additional probation.
It’s now a few months after that second one-year sentence finished and he’s arrested again, this time for grand theft and fraud.
Mr. Nelson’s reported address is just southeast of the intersection of Kimberly and 441, in a small house that is owned by someone in Rhode Island.
Middle School Bus Driver Goes Nuts
A middle school bus driver in West Boca Raton shoved and kicked a boy off a bus, as can be seen from a student’s cell phone video below, provided to us by a reader and parent.
NOTE: A number of readers have attempted to post comments with curse words. Our site generally does not allow obscenity. Keep it clean if you want your comments to appear on the site.
The driver can be heard yelling at the boy:
Off my bus
and
Cry like a little bitch!
Our source tells us that the bus driver’s name is Robert, and that this was a bus from Eagle’s Landing Middle School in West Boca Raton. The stop where this occurred was by the intersection of Lyons Rd and Kimberly Blvd. A friend of West Boca News who lives nearby confirmed visually that it matches the location.
We are told that there was a problem with the regular bus and the district sent a different bus with a different driver than usual. The driver missed a stop and reacted when the boy complained about that.
The video is short and we can’t see what happened beforehand. A commenter below says the driver was acting in self defense.
West Boca News is attempting to contact the school district for comment, but we got notice of this Friday evening and expect it may be some time before we hear anything from them.
This is the third recent bus/school incident in a few weeks. Yesterday a charter bus carrying students from a West Boca elementary school crashed and injured several students. And a few weeks ago a Boca Raton bus driver was beaten by parents in West Palm Beach.