He worked at the Hard Rock. He helped people in recovery. Now his family wants justice in his death.

Julius Whigham II, Palm Beach Post
·4 min read
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Barbara Lombardi described her brother N.John Lombardi as someone who was passionate about helping others.

After a successful career in managing restaurants and in overseeing operations at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, N.John became a licensed counselor, devoting his time in recent years to working with private patients and clients at substance-abuse treatment centers throughout Palm Beach County.

N.John Lombardi, of suburban Delray Beach, was killed in a traffic crash in September. Authorities say his vehicle was hit by a driver attempting to flee from a traffic stop.
N.John Lombardi, of suburban Delray Beach, was killed in a traffic crash in September. Authorities say his vehicle was hit by a driver attempting to flee from a traffic stop.

According to an online profile, Lombardi had been the director of Developmental Client Care in West Palm Beach since February of 2017.

Barbara Lombardi said her brother was returning home from a trip to the grocery store and believes that he was preparing to meet with a client when he was killed in a two-vehicle crash the morning of Sept. 4 near Delray Beach.

Since her brother's death, Barbara has followed the court proceedings of Theo James, the man accused of killing N.John. James faces charges that include vehicular homicide and aggravated fleeing or eluding.

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Florida Highway Patrol investigators say James, 34, of the Central Florida village of Wildwood was attempting to flee from a traffic stop in the southbound lanes of Florida's Turnpike when he exited the highway and ran a traffic light at Atlantic Avenue and East Tranquility Lake Drive, just east of the toll road's exit ramps, striking another vehicle and killing its driver.

FHP did not disclose the name of the person who died, citing a policy it adopted in 2020 in which the agency no longer discloses the names of crash victims. However, Barbara Lombardi confirmed that it was her brother who died in the Labor Day weekend wreck.

In a letter to Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg, she encouraged his office to seek the strongest penalty possible against James, describing her brother's death as senseless.

“I hope that Theo James gets the maximum amount of time that the court and the law will allow,” Lombardi said in an interview. “He took someone’s life.”

In a statement to The Palm Beach Post, State Attorney's Office spokesman Marc Freeman wrote: “State Attorney Aronberg wishes to express his sympathies to the family of Mr. Lombardi. He was an innocent victim and his death is a tragedy. Our traffic homicide prosecutors will seek justice in the case.”

Vehicular homicide is punishable by up to 15 years in prison in Florida but can be increased to up to 30 years

Under Florida law, vehicular homicide is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The crime can be enhanced to a first-degree felony carrying up to 30 years if it is alleged that a person failed to give information or render aid as required by state law.

James has pleaded not guilty to all of the Palm Beach County charges and is scheduled to have his next court hearing Jan. 17 before Circuit Court Judge Daliah Weiss. During a hearing via Zoom on Jan. 4, Circuit Court Judge Sherri Collins granted a motion from the Palm Beach County Public Defender's Office to withdraw from the case as James is now represented by a private attorney, Joseph Indelicato of Inverness.

James remains in custody at the Palm Beach County Jail, where he has been held since his arrest on the day of the crash. Indelicato asked the court to reduce James' bail from the $125,000 set at his first-appearance hearing in September.

Collins did not rule on the motion, deferring to the Jan. 17 hearing. A person who answered a call to Indelicato's office Wednesday morning said that he was not immediately available for comment.

Barbara Lombardi said her brother moved from his native New Jersey to Florida more than two decades ago in search of a better life and better weather. He worked as the director of operations for the Hard Rock for about a decade before deciding to focus on a career as a trauma therapist specializing in substance abuse counseling. He had graduated from Seton Hall University with a degree in clinical psychology, his online profile said.

Barbara Lombardi described her brother as a “very loving, caring, good-hearted person” who is survived by two children and a grandchild.

“He dedicated the last 10 to 12 years of his life to helping others,” she said. “That’s all he wanted, to help people. He saved a lot of lives.”

Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Delray man's death in Labor Day crash brings call for justice from family