‘He tortured us': Salon owner recounts deadly Philadelphia attack

Philadelphia ‘He tortured us': Salon owner recounts deadly Philadelphia attack Newly obtained video shows part of an 18-minute attack at a Mount Airy beauty salon that left one woman dead and two others injured. By Wilfredo Pacheco López • Published 3 hours ago • Updated 2 hours ago The owner of a Philadelphia beauty salon is speaking out about the terrifying 18-minute attack that killed one of her employees and left her and another woman injured, describing how she fought to survive despite suffering a broken hand and repeated blows to the head. Arisleidy Pérez, owner of Abba Beauty Salon in the city's Mount Airy neighborhood, shared her account of the Nov. 2, 2026, attack in an exclusive interview with Telemundo 62. Stream Philadelphia News for free, 24/7, wherever you are with NBC10. WATCH HERE "He hit me in the head with the butt of the gun about 20, 25 times... I don't know, so many times," Pérez said. Newly obtained video shows part of the brutal attack inside the salon, where 34-year-old Bellaniris Hernandez was killed and two other women were injured. Police identified the suspect as Jamal Pistoria, who has since been arrested and faces multiple charges, including murder, robbery and rape. Newly obtained video shows brutal attack inside salon The video shows Pistoria entering the salon's kitchen, firing a gun and repeatedly beating Pérez after she was dragged to the back of the business. Local Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. weather forecast 8 hours ago Bright and calmer wind for Wednesday North Philadelphia 2 hours ago Dozens of shell casings marked for shooting under investigation in North Philly Pérez said she pretended to be unconscious as the attack continued. Two of her employees, including Hernandez, were cornered inside the salon. "He tortured us, he tried to rape us... and thank God he wasn't able to, but he beat us badly," Pérez said. According to police, the suspect threatened, robbed and attempted to sexually assault the women during the attack. NBC10 NBC10 Pérez described the ordeal as an 18-minute fight for survival. "It was 18 minutes that I thought would never end. I'm so sorry that Bella wasn't able to make it out alive because that monster wanted to kill all of us. But God gave me the strength to fight back against him and make it out alive because he had no intention of letting any of us leave," Pérez said. Pérez and another employee, whose identity is being withheld, survived. Hernandez did not. Through tears, Pérez remembered Hernandez as someone she considered a sister and said she now wants justice for her death. "It's going to be very difficult now that she's gone," Pérez said. Suspect arrested after tip from SEPTA bus passenger Police said Pistoria was arrested early Friday morning, Nov. 6, after a person spotted him boarding a SEPTA bus near Broad Street and Lehigh Avenue in Philadelphia. The person called 911 and provided the bus number, allowing officers to follow the bus into Center City, where Pistoria was taken into custody without incident. A person called 911 to alert police that they saw Jamal Pistoria on a SEPTA bus early on Friday morning which led to his arrest. NBC10's Miguel Martinez-Valle explains. Pistoria faces multiple charges, including murder, robbery and rape, in connection with the attack. His first court hearing is expected at the end of November. Pérez said she hopes he remains behind bars. "I hope he never gets out of where he is so that other women don't have to go through this," she said. Salon owner disputes claims she knew attacker Pérez also pushed back against claims circulating about her alleged familiarity with the suspect. "I never trusted some guy enough to take out the trash for him, like people have been saying, or knew him. None of us knew that person," she said. Pérez, who had operated Abba Beauty Salon for two years, said the business's security system was broken at the time of the attack and was awaiting repairs. She has since undergone surgery and continues to recover from her physical injuries and the emotional trauma of losing Hernandez. Survivor calls for greater protection for small businesses As she prepares for the legal proceedings ahead, Pérez is calling for increased security measures to help protect small-business owners and their employees. "There should be more police around businesses, they should give us alarms connected to the police and the tools we need to work with greater peace of mind," Pérez said. Pérez plans to relocate to a different salon as she continues her recovery. For now, she remains focused on seeking justice for Hernandez and preventing other women from experiencing the violence she and her employees endured. This story was originally reported for broadcast by Telemundo 62. AI tools helped translate into English and convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication. This article tagged under: Philadelphia