Man, 23, Spent Christmas with His Family Before Being Fatally Stabbed During CVS Shift, Father Recalls

Edeedson Cine spent Christmas morning with his family before he was fatally stabbed during his shift at a CVS in Long Island, N.Y.

On Friday, Dec. 26, the Suffolk County Police Department shared in a press release that First Precinct officers responded to reports of an incident at a CVS located at 20 East Montauk Highway around 6:50 p.m. local time on Thursday, Dec. 25. When officers arrived, they found a store employee — later identified as Cine, 23 — with a stab wound to his chest.

Cine was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip, where he was pronounced dead.

After the killing, Cine’s father, Edeedson Cine Sr., told the New York Post that his son hadn’t been scheduled to work on Christmas, but agreed to step in at the last minute to cover for a co-worker.

“My son normally helps out,” Cine Sr. said, according to the outlet. “He was the kind of person who would step in front of a bullet for anyone. He would volunteer for the tough assignments. He was simple, and I loved that about my son.”

“He was always willing to help,” he added. “If he can make things better for you, he will.”

Cine Sr. said his son spent the morning helping the family prepare for the holiday before leaving for his shift.

“We have a very tight family. We are very close. We do a lot together. He was loved and he loved also,” he said. “He said, ‘I’ll wash the dishes before I go to work,’ which stays with me because it’s just something we needed someone to do. And then he kissed me and left … He left for work and he unfortunately didn’t make it home.”

A GoFundMe created by Vanessa Cine to “honor Eddy’s memory and to support his father during this time of profound grief” described the late CVS employee as a “remarkable young man” with a “fierce heart for service.”

Police said the suspect fled the store after the stabbing, but a 43-year-old Lindenhurst, N.Y., resident named John Pilaccio was arrested hours later and charged with second-degree murder in connection with Cine’s death, according to a statement shared with The New York Times.

Authorities also said they obtained surveillance footage from inside the store. Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina noted, however, that investigators were still working to determine what happened before the stabbing and what the motive may have been.

“I want to say on behalf of the Suffolk County Police Department, our hearts go out to his family, and his loved ones, and we’re going to do everything in our power to arrest the individual responsible for this heinous crime,” Catalina said, per CBS News. “It appears this poor kid went to work on Christmas, and he was assaulted while he was working behind the counter in the store.”

“Based on the person of interest and his background, I can only assume he was in the store for nefarious reasons, and it’s possible their confrontation was a result of that,” he added.

CVS issued a statement following the incident, saying it was offering counseling and support services to employees after what the company called a “senseless tragedy.”

“We’re devastated over the tragic stabbing that occurred inside our East Montauk Highway store on Christmas night,” the statement read, per CBS News. “Edeedson Cine was a valued member of the store team, known for his strong work ethic. During his 10 months with CVS, he was a hard-working and dedicated employee, and his loss will be felt by all of us.”