Lindenhurst, New York – A man has been arrested following the fatal stabbing of a CVS employee on Christmas night, an incident that has left the local community in shock. Authorities took 43-year-old John Pilaccio into custody and charged him with second-degree murder.
The victim, 23-year-old Edeedson Cine Jr., was not scheduled to work on the holiday but was called in to cover a shift. Family members described him as enthusiastic about his job at the CVS store, where he had been employed for nearly a year. Tragically, he did not return home after his shift ended.
Police reported that Cine was assaulted inside the CVS on Montauk Highway just before 7 p.m. on December 25. Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina expressed his heartbreak over the incident, stating that Cine was attacked while working behind the counter.
Before the arrest was made, Commissioner Catalina publicly criticized CVS’s initial delay in releasing surveillance video from inside the store. He voiced his frustration, noting that the hold-up hindered the investigation and delayed the identification of the suspect.
CVS responded by stating that the requested video was ultimately turned over to the police by midday on December 30. A company spokesperson clarified that the process of retrieving and packaging the footage took longer than expected. They emphasized that they sought confirmation from the department to ensure the police were able to access the file.
In the absence of immediate video evidence, detectives worked diligently to interview witnesses and seek additional surveillance footage from outside the store. These efforts led them to a person of interest and ultimately to Pilaccio’s arrest.
Following his apprehension, Pilaccio was arraigned at the Central Islip courthouse on December 31. While the investigation is ongoing, Commissioner Catalina suggested that the suspect’s motives for being in the store may not have been innocent, speculating that the confrontation could have stemmed from ulterior motives.
As the community grapples with this tragic loss, friends and family mourn the kind-hearted employee who was simply trying to help his employer on a holiday. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Cine’s death continues as police gather evidence and pursue any additional leads.