Authorities say Jamal Pistoria killed one woman and assaulted two others during an attack inside a Stenton Avenue beauty salon.
PHILADELPHIA, PA — Police were searching Thursday for a 33-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a woman and assaulting two others during a violent attack inside a beauty salon on Stenton Avenue in northwest Philadelphia.
Jamal Pistoria remained at large after authorities identified him as the suspect in the Monday afternoon attack. Philadelphia police said he is wanted in connection with the killing of 34-year-old Bellaniri Ofelia Hernandez Camilo and assaults on two additional women. Prosecutors have announced charges or approved charges including murder, sexual assault, attempted murder, robbery and related offenses. Authorities have warned that Pistoria should be considered armed and dangerous.
The attack happened shortly after 2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, inside a salon on the 6300 block of Stenton Avenue, according to authorities. The area has been described in reports as East Mount Airy and West Oak Lane. Prosecutors said Pistoria entered the business with a gun and forced a woman working near the register toward a room in the rear of the salon, where two other women were located.
Authorities said Pistoria confined the women in the room and physically assaulted them. Prosecutors also accused him of sexually assaulting one of the women. During the attack, Hernandez Camilo was shot and critically wounded. The two surviving women eventually fought back, allowing them to escape further harm and forcing Pistoria to flee, investigators said.
Hernandez Camilo was taken to Jefferson Einstein Hospital, where she died from her injuries. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that her husband said the couple had moved to Philadelphia in 2022 and that she was a mother of two who worked at the salon while studying to become a stylist. Police initially released differing information about where she lived, but her husband told the newspaper that the family lived in Philadelphia.
Investigators said surveillance video from the salon and nearby businesses helped them identify Pistoria. Authorities said footage showed him in the neighborhood after the attack, including at a nearby store. People familiar with Pistoria later identified him from surveillance images, according to prosecutors. Authorities have said they have found no indication that Pistoria knew the three women before the attack.
Police said Pistoria may have been in the area of the 1500 block of East Tulpehocken Street after the shooting. The department describes him as about 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing about 150 pounds. Philadelphia police have released his photograph as part of the search and warned members of the public not to approach him if he is seen.
The city offers a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in a homicide. Philadelphia police said the Homicide Unit is investigating the case and has asked anyone with information about Pistoria’s whereabouts to contact authorities. As of Thursday, Nov. 5, police had not announced his arrest.
Author note: Last updated November 5, 2026.