Man Dies Following Altercation Near Boca Raton High School

By Casey Westfall

A fight between a group of people that occurred in a neighborhood south of Boca Raton High School at 11 p.m. Wednesday, March 30 sent one man to the hospital, where he later died as a result of his injuries.

Boca Raton police responded to a call from a woman at 1651 NW 13th Street, who said that she was with a man who met up a group at the area, and a few people in the group who knew each other started fighting, leaving multiple people injured.

One of the injured, Atila DeAraujo, 20, of Pompano Beach, was rushed to Broward Health North by a few of his friends.

By the time DeAraujo reached Broward North, he was proclaimed dead.

Records show that at the time of the altercation, DeAraujo was on probation for his involvement in a robbery which occurred in Boca Raton back in 2014.

While speaking with the Sun Sentinel, DeAraujo’s relatives said that he had attended Boca Raton High School and Fort Lauderdale High before dropping out. DeAraujo had plans to get his G.E.D. and join the Navy, they said.

A memorial page for DeAraujo has been created on Facebook, and a candlelight vigil will be held tonight at 8 p.m. at 1551 NW 13th Street, near the area where the altercation he was involved in occurred.

In addition, a GoFundMe page with the intent of covering DeAraujo’s funeral expenses was created on Thursday, March 31 with an intended goal of $7,000. As of April 4, $5,755 have been raised.

No one in the dispute has been charged, and police and are still investigating the incident.

Police advise anyone with information that could prove vital to the case to contact Detective Lazarus Kimsal at (561) 620-6144.