Philadelphia: Suspect arrested on SEPTA bus after salon attack
Police identified Jamal Pistoria as the man who killed one woman and assaulted two others at an East Mount Airy beauty salon.
By Beatriz Soto ·
Police arrested Jamal Pistoria, 33, on a SEPTA bus near Broad and South streets around 1 a.m. on Friday. Officers took him into custody after a citizen called 911 to report seeing him. Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom confirmed the arrest resulted directly from that tip.
Pistoria faces charges for the attack at Abba Blessed Beauty Salon on Stenton Avenue in East Mount Airy. The incident occurred on Monday afternoon. Investigators state that Pistoria locked three women in a back room with him for six minutes. During that time, he shot and killed 34-year-old Ofelia Hernandez Camil. He also sexually assaulted and pistol-whipped two of her coworkers.
Francis Acosta Santos, the husband of the victim, described the event as awful. He spoke to Univision 65 Philadelphia and said he feels better now that Pistoria is in custody. Santos stated he wants the maximum sentence and called Pistoria an animal. He described the killing as an execution.
Surveillance footage shows Pistoria walking out of the salon shortly after the attack. Investigators noted that he appeared casual. Camera footage also caught him buying a drink at a convenience store nearby. Police said there is no indication he knew anyone in the salon. A dispatcher relayed a radio call where a citizen identified a male involved in the shooting while boarding a bus at Broad and Lehigh in North Philadelphia.
Officers located the specific SEPTA bus using the number provided by the caller. They followed the vehicle and apprehended Pistoria while he was still onboard. Inspector Ransom noted that the tip hotline received numerous calls from November 2 until the time of the arrest. He said the volume of calls shows residents are tired of crime in the area.
Pistoria will appear before a judge following the arrest. Investigators are currently working to determine where Pistoria was located during the week between the Monday attack and his Friday capture. Police released surveillance video to the public to assist in the identification process before the tip was received.
