A 23-year-old CVS employee who was fatally stabbed while working on Christmas Day was not originally scheduled to be on shift and had stepped in to cover for a coworker, according to his family.
Edeedson Cine was stabbed in the chest while working behind the counter at a CVS store in Lindenhurst, New York, on the evening of Dec. 25, police said. Officers responded to the scene around 6:50 p.m. and found Cine critically injured. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Cine’s brother told News 12 Long Island that he had agreed to fill in for a friend that night, meaning he was not supposed to be working on Christmas.
According to the Suffolk County Police Department, the suspect fled the store on foot after the attack. Authorities later arrested 43-year-old John Pilaccio in connection with the stabbing, according to reports from News 12 Long Island, The New York Times and CBS News.
Pilaccio has been charged with second-degree murder, police said. News 12 reported that he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina told CBS News that Cine was attacked while performing his duties behind the counter. Surveillance footage from inside the store allegedly captured the incident.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney told Newsday that Pilaccio entered the store and immediately assaulted Cine at the register. Prosecutors said the attack was recorded on video.
Cine’s father, Edeedson Cine Sr., described his son as a selfless and compassionate person who always put others first. Speaking to the New York Post, he said his son would volunteer for difficult tasks and was the kind of person willing to protect anyone in danger.
A GoFundMe created to support Cine’s family has raised more than $90,000 as loved ones and community members mourn his death.