Suspect In Fatal Nassau County Gas-And-Dash Hit-And-Run Arrested
BALDWIN, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – The suspect in Monday's deadly hit-and-run of a gas station worker has been arrested.
Police say Joshua Roston was the driver of an SUV seen on surveillance video shortly before 7:30 a.m. Monday at the Pit Stop Gas Station on Grand Avenue in Baldwin.
Roston turned himself in after video of the incident spread on the news and social media, officials said.
"He turned himself in. He felt the pressure. Joshua Roston felt the pressure, it was out on social media. His face was out there. His name was out there," said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran. "He will pay for this heinous crime."
Witnesses say station manager Cemal Dagdeviren, 59, of Levittown, confronted the driver about not paying for his fuel after asking for a fill-up. Police say station employees were suspicious since the SUV has no plates and the driver was acting strangely.
In the video, the vehicle appears to accelerate, and detectives say that's when the victim was run over. Dagdeviren was transported to South Nassau Communities Hospital and pronounced dead.
Police say minutes before the hit-and-run the suspect – seen in an orange hat – tried to use a fake credit card inside the gas station but was denied.
Roston turned himself in Friday in Avondale, Penn.
Roston, 33, is believed to be homeless and had previously been arrested for stealing gas, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said.
"It was a senseless murder for $22," Ryder said.
"This is an incredibly heartbreaking case because it hits the home of all of us. This is a man who was at work at the gas station, minding his own business, just trying to get in a day's work for a day's pay and unfortunately he had to interact with this individual," said Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas.
Roston faces charges intentional murder charges which could land him in prison for 25 years to life.