Investigators say a 45-year-old Harrison man died Saturday; the suspect surrendered the next day.
KEARNY, N.J. — A Kearny man faces murder and arson charges after police say he fatally shot a man with a bow and arrow on Saturday night and then holed up in a nearby home that burned for hours before he surrendered Sunday afternoon.
The case drew a large response in this Hudson County town as the Hudson County Regional SWAT team surrounded a Kearny Avenue address, firefighters battled flames inside the building and officers ordered neighbors to shelter in place. Prosecutors identified the victim as Pablo Criollo, 45, of Harrison, and the suspect as Oscar Feijoo, 44, of Kearny. Detectives believe the attack occurred around 6:45 p.m. near Kearny and Johnston avenues. The standoff, fire and arrest unfolded over the next 18 hours, leaving a charred facade and a shaken block to start the week before Christmas.
Acting Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello said officers found Criollo suffering from an arrow wound outside a business and rushed him to University Hospital in Newark, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. Investigators quickly focused on Feijoo, who barricaded himself inside his Kearny Avenue residence as negotiators tried to coax him out. “After the fire was extinguished, the individual exited armed with knives and was taken into custody,” the prosecutor’s office said. Witnesses described hearing police commands over loudspeakers and seeing heavy flames in the predawn dark. “Around 5 a.m. the fire started. They told everybody out,” said neighbor Ana Cristina Pacheco.
Authorities said multiple departments answered the alarm, including fire crews from Harrison, North Arlington, Belleville and Jersey City. Police maintained a perimeter and evacuated several homes as smoke drifted along Kearny Avenue. The Red Cross assisted residents displaced by the response. A passerby said he initially thought the man on the sidewalk was asleep near a storefront until he spotted the arrow. Officers later pointed rifles at the doorway as firefighters doused hot spots and SWAT members waited behind armored vehicles. No additional injuries to first responders were immediately reported.
Feijoo is charged with murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and aggravated arson, with additional counts possible as evidence is processed. Prosecutors have not publicly detailed a motive or whether the men knew each other. Detectives from the prosecutor’s homicide and crime scene units collected debris and potential weapon evidence from the residence and the street corner where Criollo collapsed. The medical examiner is expected to conduct an autopsy to confirm the cause and manner of death and to retrieve the arrow for testing.
Residents described the neighborhood as typically quiet, with corner shops and apartments clustered along the block. “It’s just such a quiet, quaint little neighborhood,” said Isabel Abreu, who sheltered in place with her child. Others returned to sweeping ash from stoops as investigators canvassed for surveillance video and spoke with shop owners. “Police handled it very well. They helped us,” said Mani Dacire, adding that neighbors spent the day checking on evacuated families who waited at a nearby church for updates.
Feijoo was expected to be lodged in the county jail pending a first court appearance early this week. Prosecutors said they would release additional details once the autopsy is complete and charging documents are filed with the court. The block around Kearny Avenue and Johnston Avenue remained under investigation Monday, with crews shoring up the damaged home and detectives continuing interviews.
Author note: Last updated December 22, 2025.