A 43-year-old man has been charged with murder following the fatal stabbing of a young CVS employee on Christmas Day at a store in Lindenhurst, Long Island.
Details of the Christmas Day Attack
John Pilaccio, 43, of Lindenhurst, is facing a second-degree murder charge for the alleged attack on 23-year-old Edeedson Cine. According to Suffolk County police, the incident occurred around an hour before the store's closing time on Thursday, 25 December 2025.
Officers were called to the CVS at 20 East Montauk Highway just before 7 p.m. The suspect reportedly fled the scene on foot. Cine, a resident of West Babylon, was rushed to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip, where he was pronounced dead.
Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina stated that Pilaccio was identified as a person of interest using witness accounts and surveillance footage from outside the shop. "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 said on Friday.
Victim Remembered as a 'Remarkable Young Man'
Edeedson Cine had been employed at the CVS for approximately ten months. A company spokesperson described him as a valued team member known for his strong work ethic, adding that his loss would be deeply felt.
His family revealed to CBS News that he was not originally scheduled to work on Christmas Day but had volunteered to cover an extra shift. His grandmother, Rose Cine, expressed her anguish, questioning, "Why inside of CVS? Why where he was working? He just gets up and goes to work – that's all he does."
She described her grandson as a loving young man who lived with his parents and attended a Seventh-day Adventist church.
Community Mourning and Investigation
A makeshift memorial appeared outside the store on Friday as shocked customers and community members paid their respects. Customer Margaret Reichling remembered Cine as a polite and helpful employee who would "go above and beyond."
Investigators have not disclosed a possible motive for the stabbing or whether the suspect and victim were known to each other. John Pilaccio was taken into custody later on Christmas Day and was scheduled for arraignment on Saturday, 27 December.
A GoFundMe campaign established to support Cine's family had raised more than $36,000 by Saturday. It memorialised him as "a remarkable young man" with a "fierce heart for service" and unwavering love for his family and friends.
