UPDATE: The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office says an arrest has been made in the murder of Christo Maccius. More information is expected to be released Tuesday.
EARLIER:
A community is in pain after someone gunned down a young man outside a bar west of Boca Raton this weekend.
As investigators work to figure out who killed Christo Maccius, friends and family gathered Sunday night to remember a man who had an infectious smile.
There was no challenge too great for Maccius.
“No matter how many obstacles were thrown in his life, he still got up every day and fought,” said his foster father Steve Rubin.
Maccius grew up in the foster care system, eventually finding a home with Rubin and the west Boca Raton community.
“He had six invitations for Thanksgiving dinner and there was nobody who didn't want him as part of their lives,” Rubin explained.
Maccius became a part of so many lives.
“Right when I met him, he was instantly a friend of mine,” said John Blalock.
More than 100 people gathered outside West Boca Raton Community High School where Maccius graduated and then worked as a substitute teacher.
They hugged, cried, prayed and wrote notes to Maccius on balloons, creating a memorial in the fence outside the high school.
“He knew how to make you laugh in a second,” remembered George DeMaria.
“If he knew you for 15 minutes, it feels like he knew you your whole life,” said Moe Mortezai.
“He had this glimmer in his eyes, he had this smile,” added Rubin.
Over and over, his friends talked about that smile.
“Christo has a smile that can light up a whole room,” Shelby Blalock said.
But someone took that smile Saturday morning.
The sheriff's office said a man shot and killed Maccius outside a bar in Sandalfoot Plaza not far from the high school.
“Whoever did it doesn't know what he took away from everyone,” Shelby said.
But the spirit behind his smile still exists. Now Maccius's friends know their challenge is to make sure it lives forever.
Person of interest sought in case
On Sunday night, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office tweeted surveillance photos of a person that may have information in the case.
#ALERT We are looking for this individual we believe may know info on the homicide of Christo Maccius, in #BocaRaton pic.twitter.com/m3iGMzGaQh
— PBSO (@PBCountySheriff) August 1, 2016
Please call Crimestoppers at 800-458-TIPS (8477) if you can help in the case.
