In a stark turn of events on a day typically reserved for celebration and joy, a Lindenhurst man stands accused of the brutal murder of a CVS employee on Christmas Day. As reported by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, John Pilaccio, 43, has been formally indicted on charges including one count of Murder in the First Degree.
Amidst the evening calm of December 25, Pilaccio reportedly entered a local CVS, only to allegedly later lunge at and stab 23-year-old employee Edeedson Cine, Jr. of West Babylon to death. The chilling act is said to have unfolded shortly before 7:00 p.m., with Pilaccio jumping over the front desk to continue his assault, according to statements made by Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney. "While families in our community were celebrating Christmas, one family suffered an unimaginable loss," the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office conveyed, also commending the Suffolk County Police Department for their swift actions to swiftly apprehend Pilaccio.
Responding officers and members of the Lindenhurst Ambulance Company attended to Cine at the scene before rushing him to Good Samaritan Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy performed by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Cine's cause of death as sharp force wounds to the head and chest. The subsequent police investigation led to Pilaccio's arrest the following day.
As of January 7, Pilaccio has formally been arraigned before Justice Karen M. Wilutis, facing life in prison without the possibility of parole. His legal representation comes from attorney Steven Fondulis. "This senseless tragedy should have never happened," District Attorney Tierney said, as per the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office. Pilaccio's court return is set for February 23, and the case continues to be pursued by prosecutors with diligent attention to the details of the fateful Christmas adversities.
