RIVERHEAD, N.Y. — On Christmas Day, 23-year-old Eddy Cine Jr., an aspiring computer technician, selflessly stepped in for a colleague at his job as a CVS clerk in Lindenhurst, New York. Tragically, his act of kindness ended in fatal violence.

Just minutes before his shift was due to end around 7 p.m., Cine Jr. was fatally stabbed during a robbery, according to the Suffolk County police.

The suspected perpetrator, identified as 43-year-old John Pilaccio from Lindenhurst, is now facing a first-degree murder charge. This charge is notably more severe than that faced by Luigi Mangione, accused of a separate murder in New York City.

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney revealed during a press briefing following Pilaccio’s arraignment on Wednesday that the robbery was motivated by the theft of a Gatorade. “He took a Gatorade,” Tierney stated, referencing post-arrest statements.

In Suffolk County Court in Riverhead, Judge Karen Wilitus presided over Pilaccio’s indictment on January 7, 2026, for the alleged murder of CVS employee Edeedson Cine Jr. The courtroom scene was captured by James Carbone for Newsday via a pool arrangement.

An unprovoked Pilaccio allegedly demanded money and stabbed Cine in the chest with a knife, then jumped over the counter, stabbed him more and eventually fled, according to Tierney’s office.

He allegedly told investigators he had $25,000 in credit card debt.

He also had a violent criminal record that included a tire iron attack 20 years ago and had been discharged from parole at some time before the murder, Tierney said.

John Pilaccio inside Judge Karen Wilitus’ courtroom at Suffolk County Court in Riverhead where he was indicted on a grand jury indictment on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, for allegedly stabbing CVS worker Edeedson Cine Jr., to death. (James Carbone/Newsday via Pool)

“A number of the laws that have been passed have really made our parole system a joke,” he told reporters, singling out a change that blocks parole officers from having their parolees re-incarcerated for failure to comply with the terms of their release.

“If that’s the case, then why have parole?” he said.

Police arrived within minutes and applied first aid before an ambulance rushed Cine to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries.

The Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office listed his cause and manner of death as a homicide by sharp-force wounds to both his head and chest.

An undated family photo of Eddy Cine Jr., the 23-year-old CVS clerk killed in a Christmas Day robbery. (Cine Family/GoFundMe)

County authorities also criticized CVS over the handling of surveillance video of the incident, which they say wasn’t shared in a timely fashion. Tierney warned that if evidence isn’t turned over voluntarily, his office can and will seek search warrants.

A CVS spokesperson thanked Suffolk police for their rapid response and said the company had provided initial surveillance video on the night of the incident and allowed officers to watch it from inside the store. The company gave over additional footage the following morning.

“We’re devastated over the tragic stabbing that occurred inside our East Montauk Highway store on Christmas night,” the spokesperson said. “Edeedson Cine was a valued member of the store team, known for his strong work ethic. During his time with CVS, he was a hard-working and dedicated employee and his loss is felt by all of us. Our thoughts are with Edeedson’s family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time.”

John Paliccio, 43, pictured in a booking photo taken at the Suffolk County Jail. (Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office)

Cine was one of four siblings and grew up in a tight-knit family from West Babylon, according to an online obituary. He had attended the Hunter Business School and hobbies included cooking and music. He played the drums and had been a member of youth and children’s choirs.

Tierney described him as a “remarkable young man” and a credit to the community. The Hunter Business School, where he had studied to become a computer technician, revealed that his father, Ed Cine Sr., is an instructor there.

“Ed, we are standing with you,” the school said in a statement. “Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers are with the entire Cine family.”

A makeshift memorial is visible outside the CVS pharmacy in Lindenhurst, N.Y., Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. The store is the scene of the stabbing death of 23-year-old employee Edeedson “Eddy” Cine Jr. on Christmas Day.  (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

Pilaccio was arrested a day after the slaying and had initially been arrested on a charge of second-degree murder — which in New York state is the typical charge for a premeditated homicide. However, Tierney said that under state law, committing a murder in furtherance of a robbery justifies the higher charge of first-degree murder, which carries a sentence of life without parole.

In the Mangione case, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office had attempted to charge the accused assassin with first-degree murder, alleging that the slaying was an act of terror. However, a city judge tossed the top charge, leaving second-degree murder charges in its place.

The maximum sentence for second-degree murder in New York does include a chance at parole.

Greg Rogers, a former FBI agent, attorney and criminal justice professor at Utah Valley University, told Fox News Digital previously that he believes the judge “made a grievous error” in his decision to drop the top charge against Mangione.

“They did charge terrorism, because they’re actually convinced they could prove it,” he said. “Terrorism statutes are, and this isn’t an oversimplification, if you commit a homicide in furtherance of a political motive, which he allegedly did, that satisfies that statute.”

As for Pilaccio, he is being held without bail at the Suffolk County Jail in Riverhead. He’s due back in court on Feb. 23.

His attorney did not return a call seeking comment.