'Most Senseless' Man Who Killed North Baldwin Gas Station Employee Over $22 Sentenced

Publish date: 2024-06-05

Joshua Roston, age 38 of Baldwin, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on Friday, Dec. 8 for the “vicious” killing of a gas station employee in 2019, the Nassau County District Attorney announced.

On the morning of January 14, 2019, Roston drove up to the Pit Stop gas station, located at 1210 Grand Avenue in North Baldwin, and asked the attendant to fill up the tank of his GMC SUV.

It was just before 7:30 a.m.

After the attendant put in $22 worth of gas, Roston told the attendant that he would pay via credit card inside the station.

When the two went inside, however, Roston changed his mind, saying he wanted to pay with cash and needed to use the ATM outside to get the money.

It was then that 59-year-old Cemal Dagdeviren arrived for work, taking over for the original attendant. The DA’s Office reported that he walked with Roston outside, telling him where the ATM was.

Roston took advantage of Dagdeviren turning his back to hop in his GMC, backing up and bumping into the employee.

In an attempt to stop Roston from stealing, Dagdeviren came around to the front of the car, grabbing onto the windshield wiper and knocking on the driver’s side window.

Roston, looking through the windshield at the employee, slammed on the gas, running Dagdeviren over and dragging his body with the SUV for several feet, killing him.

According to the DA, the car could be seen bouncing twice – once as the front tires and again as the back tires ran the man over.

Roston fled the scene. He turned himself into the police in Pennsylvania two days later.

“This is one of the most senseless cases we’ve ever seen in this office. An innocent man’s life ended over $22 worth of gasoline,” said DA Anne T Donnelly.

She went on to claim that during his trial, Roston was “defiant; brazenly and insultingly claiming” that Dagdeviren was the aggressor in the situation, though Roston “viciously barreled over and dragged” him.

On Friday, Oct. 27, Roston was found guilty by a jury of the following:

He was acquitted of one count of murder and two counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument.

Additionally, Roston was convicted of stealing gas from two other Nassau County stations in April and December 2018. 

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