Husband speaks out after random East Mount Airy salon attack: 'He executed my wife'

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police are thanking a citizen who they said spotted the man who is accused of killing one woman and sexually assaulting two others inside a salon in the East Mount Airy section of Philadelphia.

Jamal Pistoria, 33, was taken into custody at Broad and South streets while on a SEPTA bus at around 1 a.m. on Friday, according to police.

"Jamal Pistoria's arrest was the result of a citizen calling 911," said Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom.

Pistoria will face a judge after police said he shot and killed a salon worker and sexually assaulted and pistol-whipped two of her coworkers Monday afternoon.

Officials said he shot and killed 34-year-old Ofelia Hernandez Camil, a wife and mother of two.

"It was awful," said Francis Acosta Santos.

Her husband spoke to a reporter with Action News partner Univision 65 Philadelphia and said he feels a little better with Pistoria in custody. He wants the maximum sentence and called Pistoria an animal.

He said Pistoria executed his wife.

Action News has shown you the surveillance video of Pistoria walking out after police said he locked the victims in a back room with him for six minutes, terrorizing the women of Abba Blessed Beauty Salon on Stenton Avenue in East Mount Airy.

"Well, there's no indication that he knew anyone in that salon," Ransom said.

Investigators said Pistoria casually left the salon and was spotted on camera at a convenience store buying a drink right after the incident.

They got a tip from a caller who recognized him earlier while getting on a bus at Broad and Lehigh in North Philadelphia.

Dispatch is heard relaying what the caller said.

"The only thing he was saying is that this might be a male involved with the shooting at the hair salon," a dispatcher said over the radio.

An officer asked over the radio, "Is there a way you can contact SEPTA to see what that bus number is located right now by GPS or anything on their part?"

We're told officers found the bus after the caller provided a bus number. They followed it, and arrested Pistoria onboard.

"From Nov. 2nd until the time he was apprehended, the tip hotline received numerous calls from citizens in Philadelphia, and I think that's a testament to the citizens that they are tired of the crime as well," Ransom said.

Investigators said they're working to determine where Pistoria was all week now that he's behind bars.