Suspect arrested after CVS employee stabbed to dying at Long Island retailer on Christmas Day | EUROtoday

A Long Island man has been arrested for the deadly stabbing of a 23-year-old CVS worker on Christmas Day.

John Pilaccio, 43, of Lindenhurst, is charged with second-degree homicide after he allegedly stabbed Edeedson Cine, of West Babylon, within the chest about an hour earlier than the shop was set to shut, Suffolk County police mentioned Friday.

Officers responded to the scene simply earlier than 7 p.m. Thursday on the CVS retailer at 20 East Montauk Highway in Lindenhurst. The suspect initially fled the scene on foot and Cine was rushed to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip, the place he was pronounced lifeless.

Pilaccio was recognized as an individual of curiosity based mostly on witness descriptions and surveillance video from outdoors the shop, Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina mentioned on Friday.

“It appears this poor kid went to work on Christmas and he was assaulted while he was working behind the counter in the store,” Catalina added.

Cine had labored on the retailer for about 10 months, in response to police and CVS representatives. Investigators haven’t mentioned what led to the stabbing or whether or not the suspect and sufferer knew one another. Pilaccio was taken into custody later that day and is about to be arraigned on Saturday.

“We’re devastated over the tragic stabbing that occurred inside our East Montauk Highway store on Christmas night,” a CVS spokesperson mentioned in a press release. “Edeedson Cine was a valued member of the store team, known for his strong work ethic – his loss will be felt by all of us.”

Cine’s household informed CBS News that he was not scheduled to work on Christmas, however that he had picked up an additional shift.

“Why inside of CVS?” Cine’s grandmother, Rose Cine mentioned. “Why where he was working? He just gets up and goes to work – that’s all he does.”

She mentioned her grandson lived along with his dad and mom, attended a Seventh-day Adventist church and was “very loving.”

A makeshift memorial was arrange outdoors the shop Friday, the place neighborhood members stopped to honor Cine, who made an enduring impression on clients.

”He would go above and past. If you wanted one thing, he could be aware of you,” buyer Margaret Reichling mentioned. “He was always a nice, polite kid.”

A GoFundMe that describes Cine as “a remarkable young man who was taken from this world far too soon,” had raised greater than $36,000 by Saturday.

“He had a fierce heart for service, and his love for his family and friends was unwavering,” the marketing campaign learn. “That love will continue to live on through all who were blessed to know him.”