Man Found Guilty Of Fatal Nassau Hit-And-Run: DA

MINEOLA, NY — The man who fatally ran over a gas station attendant after stealing gas in 2019 was convicted of murder on Friday, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly announced.

Joshua Roston, 38, of Baldwin, was found guilty of murder and robbery charges in connection with the death of Cemal ‘John’ Dagdeviren, 59. He faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

"Cemal 'John' Dagdeviren was a hardworking family man whose life was tragically cut short when Joshua Roston ran him over with a GMC Yukon after stealing $22 worth of gas," Donnelly said in a news release. "Rather than just pay his bill, Roston barreled John over in his SUV, dragged his body along the pavement, and quickly fled New York State. This was an unspeakable tragedy, and we are grateful to the jury for their service and their decision to convict Joshua Roston of murder. Our thoughts continue to be with John’s many family members and friends as they mourn his loss."

At 7:20 a.m. on Jan. 14, 2019, Roston pulled up to the middle pump of the Pit Stop gas station on Grand Avenue in North Baldwin and asked an attendant — not Dagdeviren — to fill the tank of his black GMC SUV, Donnelly said.

After the attendant filled the tank with $22 worth of gas, Roston then told the attendant that he was going to pay with a credit card inside the store instead of cash, but once in the store, Roston told the attendant that he did not want to use his card, but instead wanted to go to get money from an ATM, prosecutors said.

Dagdeviren arrived for work and took over for the attendant, and then told Roston that there was an ATM across the street at another gas station, officials said.

Dagdeviren left the store with Roston and they discussed paying for the gas and where to find an ATM, authorities said. However, when Dagdeviren turned his back for a brief moment, Roston got into his SUV, investigators said.

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

At that moment, Roston nudged forward slightly and then quickly accelerated the SUV and ran Dagdeviren over, authorities said. Roston and his SUV then dragged Dagdeviren’s body for several feet, killing him, Donnelly said. The SUV could be seen bouncing twice as the front and then rear tires drove over Dagdeviren's body, investigators said.

Roston drove off and eventually turned himself in to police in Philadelphia on Jan. 18, 2019, authorities said.

Roston was also convicted of stealing gasoline from two other Nassau County gas stations in April 2018 and December 2018, the DA said.

Roston, 38, was convicted of one count of second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree robbery, one count of second-degree manslaughter, one count of third-degree robbery, one count of leaving the scene of an incident without reporting, and three counts of petty larceny. His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 8.

Roston was acquitted of one count of second-degree murder and two counts of first-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument.