Baldwin Man Sentenced For 'Senseless' Hit-And-Run Killing: Nassau DA

MINEOLA, NY — A Baldwin man was sentenced on Friday to 25 years to life in prison for the 2019 hit-and-run death of a gas station worker, prosecutors announced.

Joshua Roston, 38, was convicted by a jury on October 27, on charges that included second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree robbery and second-degree manslaughter.

"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 Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly. "Cemal worked hard to support his family and was doing his job – attempting to stop Joshua Roston from driving off without paying – when he was viciously barreled over and dragged beneath Roston’s SUV."

The 59-year-old victim, Cemal Dagdeviren, arrived for work on Jan. 2019 at the Pit Stop gas station on Grand Avenue in North Baldwin, took over for the attendant, after which he told the Roston that there was an ATM across the street at another gas station, Donnelly said.

Roston backed his SUV up slightly with Dagdeviren at the rear of the SUV, with the vehicle slightly touching Dagdeviren. Dagdeviren then walked around the front of the vehicle, knocked on the driver’s side window and grabbed the windshield wiper of the SUV. At that point, Dagdeviren was standing directly in front of the car looking through the windshield at the defendant.

At that moment, Donnelly said, Roston nudged forward slightly and then quickly accelerated the vehicle and ran over Dagdeviren. Roston and his SUV then dragged Dagdeviren’s body for several feet, killing him.

"At trial, Joshua Roston was defiant; brazenly and insultingly claiming on the witness stand that Cemal was the aggressor," Donnelly said.