Police: Man behind fatal bow-and-arrow attack barricades himself inside Kearny, New Jersey home, sets two fires
KEARNY, New Jersey (WABC) — Police say the man behind a fatal bow-and-arrow attack barricaded himself inside a New Jersey home where he set two fires.
After an hours-long standoff, the man finally surrendered on Sunday afternoon. It was a tense 24 hours for police and people who live near the scene in Kearny, which was shut down amid the chaos.
The flames shooting out of 20 Kearny Avenue was the first indication for many neighbors that something was wrong.
“5 o’clock in the morning when it started, the fire, the SWAT, they tell me everybody out,” said Ana Cristina Pacheco.
The Hudson County SWAT team was already there.
Officers had guns drawn and pointed at the house while firefighters doused the flames. They were there to negotiate with a person of interest in a deadly assault who had barricaded himself inside. Soon, the house was engulfed.
The deadly assault happened around 6 p.m. Saturday. A man had collapsed in front of a hair salon with an arrow in his back.
“Around 7 or 8 o’clock the police started showing up and they started doing the investigative work. And about 12 a.m. I walked by and I saw that’s when the SWAT team started showing up,” said Anthony Collantes.
After more than 12 hours they left with a suspect in handcuffs on Sunday afternoon – as more smoke rose from the house.
Officials believe the suspect started a second, smaller fire and was armed with knives when they arrested him.
“I’m still in shock,” said Mani Dacire.
Neighbors evacuated from their homes sheltered in a nearby church while others were told to stay inside.
“Police handled it very well. They helped us very much – I totally appreciate it,” Dacire added.
So far there is no indication as to why the man would fire an arrow at the victim.
“That was clearly a deliberate choice. But I hope the family finds peace in these trying times. This man, he had to have been mentally disturbed. I don’t know what was going through his brain,” said Renata Rivas.
“He looked like a normal person, for me. But you never know,” added Pacheco.
The neighbor who lives two doors down from the suspect has taken in an elderly man who lived right in between – his house was badly damaged.
The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office is expected to charge the suspect. They are handling the homicide, standoff and fire investigation.
The victim and the suspect have both not been identified.
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