John Pilaccio, of Lindenhurst, arraigned in Christmas Day CVS stabbing

The man arrested for the fatal Christmas Day stabbing of a 23-year-old CVS employee in Lindenhurst is being held without bail following his arraignment on a murder charge Saturday morning, according to court records.

John Pilaccio, 43, of Lindenhurst, pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder before Suffolk County District Court Judge John Kelly. 

Pilaccio was charged in the killing on Friday and held overnight at Suffolk's Third Precinct in Bay Shore. Police said he stabbed Edeedson Cine, 23, of West Babylon, in the chest while the CVS employee was working behind the counter at about 6:50 p.m. on Christmas, according to Suffolk County Police Department Commissioner Kevin Catalina.

Cine was transported to West Islip's Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, according to a news release from the police department. The suspect allegedly fled on foot.

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney declined to speculate on a motive in an interview Saturday evening.

"The first thing [Pilaccio] did when he got up to the cashier … unfortunately was to attack him. The crime is captured on the video," he said.

Tierney said prosecutors referenced "oral admissions" Pilaccio allegedly made to police as part of a bail application during Saturday’s arraignment but did not provide specifics.

He said the investigation is ongoing and the case will be moved to a grand jury.

"We have 144 hours to submit the case to the grand jury or he would get released," Tierney said. "We’re not going to allow that to happen."

Pilaccio's court-appointed attorney, Steve Fondulis of Center Moriches, did not immediately return a phone call Saturday. Pilaccio is due back in court Wednesday.

Earlier on Friday, during a press conference about the winter storm at a Suffolk County public works yard, Catalina said police had a person of interest in the murder, but he did not identify the person at that time.

Catalina told reporters that, "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 that the confrontation was a result of that."

The commissioner, though, said CVS had "hampered" the department's investigation as it had not yet provided security camera footage to Suffolk police, Newsday reported.

"Quite frankly, that has hampered our ability to make an arrest in this situation. I'm shocked and appalled by it," Catalina said. "If the CEO of CVS had to fly out to Long Island to not only console the family, but make sure that the video was released in a timely fashion, then he should have."

The commissioner told reporters the department used outside surveillance footage and witness accounts to pinpoint the person of interest.

Amy Thibault, a CVS spokeswoman, told Newsday through email that the company provided Suffolk police with the video at about 12:30 p.m. Friday. A police spokesperson later confirmed receipt of the footage in an email to Newsday.

"We cooperate fully with police investigations," Thibault wrote. "It took quite a bit of time to pull and package in the specific manner they asked for."