Suspect apprehended for Christmas Day stabbing incident at Long Island CVS store.

A suspect has been apprehended in connection with the tragic stabbing death of a CVS employee on Christmas Day in Lindenhurst, Long Island. John Pilaccio, 43 years old, was taken into custody late Friday night after being identified as the individual responsible for the fatal attack on Edeedson “Eddy” Cine, 23, according to officials from the Suffolk County police department.

Cine, a West Babylon resident, was working behind the counter at the CVS located on Montauk Highway when he was assaulted by a suspect wielding a knife shortly before 7 p.m. on Thursday. The incident occurred about an hour before the store was scheduled to close. When authorities arrived, the assailant had already fled the scene. Cine was urgently transported to Good Samaritan University Medical Center in West Islip, where he succumbed to his injuries from a stab wound to the chest.

As of Saturday, investigators are still working to determine the circumstances leading up to the attack, including the motivation behind it and whether there was a prior relationship between Pilaccio and Cine. Authorities revealed that Pilaccio lives approximately half a mile away from the CVS store.

Pilaccio faces a charge of second-degree murder related to the incident and was arraigned in First District Court on Saturday, where he entered a plea of not guilty.

Law enforcement officials expressed frustration regarding the timeline of events. Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina publicly criticized CVS for their delayed release of surveillance footage crucial to the investigation. Catalina stated that the police department had not been granted full access to the video even 18 hours after the incident, claiming that this lack of cooperation hindered their ability to make an arrest swiftly. Following this statement, police confirmed that they had finally received the surveillance video from the store.

A spokesperson for CVS indicated that the requested footage was sent to investigators at 12:30 p.m. on Friday and that the process of assembling the video in the requested format took considerable time.

The investigation into the Christmas Day stabbing is ongoing, and a GoFundMe campaign has been initiated to support Cine’s family during this difficult time. As of Saturday afternoon, the fundraiser has garnered more than ,000, significantly exceeding its initial goal of ,000. The campaign emphasizes the importance of community support during times of sorrow, encouraging contributions of any form, including prayers and sharing the fundraising page.

Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding this violent incident, emphasizing the need for community cooperation to ensure justice is served. Media News Source.