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Background: News footage of the CVS in Lindenhurst, N.Y., where Edeedson Cine was fatally stabbed on Dec. 25 (News 12 Long Island). Inset (left): John Pilaccio at his arraignment on Dec. 27 (News 12 Long Island). Inset (right): Edeedson “Eddy” Cine (GoFundMe).
A New York man has been taken into custody following a deadly stabbing incident on Christmas Day at a local pharmacy.
John Pilaccio, 43, is currently detained without the possibility of bail, facing charges of second-degree murder. According to the Suffolk County Police Department, the victim, 23-year-old Edeedson “Eddy” Cine, was on duty at a CVS store in Lindenhurst, New York, during the evening of December 25. Around 7 p.m., while Cine was stationed behind the counter, Pilaccio allegedly approached and stabbed him in the chest before escaping on foot.
Cine was swiftly transported to a nearby hospital, where medical personnel pronounced him dead.
Local ABC affiliate WABC reports that eyewitnesses identified Pilaccio as the alleged perpetrator of the attack on Cine at the CVS. Surveillance footage from the store reveals Pilaccio wandering the aisles before confronting Cine. The video purportedly shows Pilaccio “violently lunging” at Cine with a knife and inflicting a fatal stab wound to his chest. After the initial assault, Pilaccio allegedly vaulted over the counter to continue the attack before fleeing the scene.
Law enforcement officials tracked Pilaccio to his residence, where he was apprehended peacefully on Friday.
Local news station News 12 Long Island was in the courtroom when Pilaccio was arraigned on Saturday. Court documents obtained by the outlet stated that the two men were strangers, and Pilaccio’s alleged motivation was money. According to police, Pilaccio confessed to the stabbing and said that he was in debt and intended to rob the store. Pilaccio told police that Cine refused to comply with his orders.
News 12 Long Island spoke with Cine’s brother, who told the station that Cine was not scheduled to work on the night he died. He was filling in for a friend’s shift on Christmas night. In a GoFundMe campaign benefiting Cine’s family, a relative wrote, “He had a fierce heart for service, and his love for his family and friends was unwavering. That love will continue to live on through all who were blessed to know him.”
Pilaccio was charged with second-degree murder. He remains in custody at Suffolk County’s Third Precinct, where he is being held without bond. His next court date is scheduled for Dec. 31.
