Ex-con charged in Christmas Day CVS robbery that left clerk fatally stabbed

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. — Eddy Cine Jr., a 23-year-old aspiring machine technician, volunteered to screen for a co-worker connected Christmas Day for his occupation arsenic a CVS clerk successful Lindenhurst, New York.

An equipped robber stabbed him to decease minutes earlier the extremity of his shift, astatine astir 7 p.m., Suffolk County constabulary said.

Now his suspected killer, a 43-year-old ex-con named John Pilaccio, of Lindenhurst, is facing a complaint of first-degree execution — a much superior complaint than suspected assassin Luigi Mangione successful New York City.

"He took a Gatorade," Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said astatine a quality briefing aft the alleged killer's arraignment Wednesday. "According to post-arrest statements, the information was robbery."

LUIGI MANGIONE SAID 'ALL THESE PEOPLE HERE FOR A MASS MURDER, WHY?' AT ARRAIGNMENT: POLICE OFFICER

John Pilaccio wrong Judge Karen Wilitus’ courtroom astatine Suffolk County Court successful Riverhead wherever helium was indicted connected Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, for allegedly stabbing CVS idiosyncratic Edeedson Cine Jr., to death. (James Carbone/Newsday via Pool)

An unprovoked Pilaccio allegedly demanded wealth and stabbed Cine successful the thorax with a knife, past jumped implicit the counter, stabbed him much and yet fled, according to Tierney's office.

He allegedly told investigators helium had $25,000 successful recognition paper debt.

He besides had a convulsive transgression grounds that included a tyre robust onslaught 20 years agone and had been discharged from parole astatine immoderate clip earlier the murder, Tierney said.

LUIGI MANGIONE PUMPS FIST IN COURT AS BODY CAM ALLEGEDLY REVEALS LOADED MAGAZINE FOUND INSIDE WET UNDERWEAR

John Pilaccio wrong Judge Karen Wilitus’ courtroom astatine Suffolk County Court successful Riverhead wherever helium was indicted connected a expansive assemblage indictment connected Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, for allegedly stabbing CVS idiosyncratic Edeedson Cine Jr., to death. (James Carbone/Newsday via Pool)

"A fig of the laws that person been passed person truly made our parole strategy a joke," helium told reporters, singling retired a alteration that blocks parole officers from having their parolees re-incarcerated for nonaccomplishment to comply with the presumption of their release.

"If that's the case, past wherefore person parole?" helium said.

Police arrived wrong minutes and applied archetypal assistance earlier an ambulance rushed Cine to the hospital, wherever helium was pronounced dormant from his injuries.

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The Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office listed his origin and mode of decease arsenic a homicide by sharp-force wounds to some his caput and chest.

An undated household photograph of Eddy Cine Jr., the 23-year-old CVS clerk killed successful a Christmas Day robbery. (Cine Family/GoFundMe)

County authorities besides criticized CVS implicit the handling of surveillance video of the incident, which they accidental wasn't shared successful a timely fashion. Tierney warned that if grounds isn't turned implicit voluntarily, his bureau tin and volition question hunt warrants.

A CVS spokesperson thanked Suffolk constabulary for their accelerated effect and said the institution had provided archetypal surveillance video connected the nighttime of the incidental and allowed officers to ticker it from wrong the store. The institution gave implicit further footage the pursuing morning.

"We’re devastated implicit the tragic stabbing that occurred wrong our East Montauk Highway store connected Christmas night," the spokesperson said. "Edeedson Cine was a valued subordinate of the store team, known for his beardown enactment ethic. During his clip with CVS, helium was a hard-working and dedicated worker and his nonaccomplishment is felt by each of us. Our thoughts are with Edeedson’s family, friends and colleagues during this hard time."

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John Paliccio, 43, pictured successful a booking photograph taken astatine the Suffolk County Jail. (Suffolk County Sheriff's Office)

Cine was 1 of 4 siblings and grew up successful a tight-knit household from West Babylon, according to an online obituary. He had attended the Hunter Business School and hobbies included cooking and music. He played the drums and had been a subordinate of younker and children's choirs.

Tierney described him arsenic a "remarkable young man" and a recognition to the community. The Hunter Business School, wherever helium had studied to go a machine technician, revealed that his father, Ed Cine Sr., is an teacher there.

"Ed, we are lasting with you," the schoolhouse said successful a statement. "Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers are with the full Cine family."

BODYCAM SHOWS LUIGI MANGIONE CRACK JOKE AS SWARM OF COPS CLOSES IN ON HIM AT MCDONALD’S

A makeshift memorial is disposable extracurricular the CVS pharmacy successful Lindenhurst, N.Y., Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. The store is the country of the stabbing decease of 23-year-old worker Edeedson "Eddy" Cine Jr. connected Christmas Day.  (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

Pilaccio was arrested a time aft the slaying and had initially been arrested connected a complaint of second-degree execution — which successful New York authorities is the emblematic complaint for a premeditated homicide. However, Tierney said that nether authorities law, committing a execution successful furtherance of a robbery justifies the higher complaint of first-degree murder, which carries a condemnation of beingness without parole.

In the Mangione case, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's bureau had attempted to complaint the accused assassin with first-degree murder, alleging that the slaying was an enactment of terror. However, a metropolis justice tossed the apical charge, leaving second-degree execution charges successful its place.

The maximum condemnation for second-degree execution successful New York does see a accidental astatine parole.

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Greg Rogers, a erstwhile FBI agent, lawyer and transgression justness prof astatine Utah Valley University, told Fox News Digital antecedently that helium believes the justice "made a grievous error" successful his determination to driblet the apical complaint against Mangione.

"They did complaint terrorism, due to the fact that they're really convinced they could beryllium it," helium said. "Terrorism statutes are, and this isn’t an oversimplification, if you perpetrate a homicide successful furtherance of a governmental motive, which helium allegedly did, that satisfies that statute."

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As for Pilaccio, helium is being held without bail astatine the Suffolk County Jail successful Riverhead. He's owed backmost successful tribunal connected Feb. 23.

His lawyer did not instrumentality a telephone seeking comment.