Trigger Warning: The article contains disturbing details about an attack leading to death.
A man was taken into custody on December 21, 2025, after allegedly killing another man with a bow and arrow and barricading himself inside a New Jersey home that later caught fire at 5:20 am during an hours-long police standoff, authorities said.
Police reportedly received information about a severely injured man at a local intersection in the Kearny and Johnston Avenue area at 8:30 pm.
According to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the victim, later identified as Pablo Criollo of Harrison, a man from New Jersey, appeared to have been struck by a sharp object.
He was rushed to the University Hospital after officers arrived at the scene, but died due to his life-threatening injuries. It was later confirmed that the man was attacked with a bow and arrow.
As per The New York Post, the suspect had already barricaded himself inside a two-story residence on Kearny Avenue by then. Law enforcement secured the area as SWAT teams arrived, and nearby residents were ordered to shelter in place while negotiators attempted to make contact with the individual.
🚨 BREAKING: A man was killed with a BOW AND ARROW in Kearny NJ Saturday night. After the killing the suspect barricaded himself inside a home leading to an overnight SWAT standoff.
The house ERUPTED IN FLAMES around 5 a.m. Neighbors were evacuated as firefighters battled the… pic.twitter.com/emoTpqAsVZ
— The Age Of Genz (@TheAgeOfGenZ) December 22, 2025
Chaos unfolded as several roads were shut across the city, and neighbors were evacuated from the building in Kearny, New Jersey, after it caught fire. Thankfully, the situation was brought under control by early afternoon.
The maniac, whose identity has not yet been released, was covered in soot and was wearing a red bandanna, followed by dark clothing, at the time of his arrest.
Prosecutors said formal charges are expected to be filed Monday. Investigators have not yet released information regarding a possible motive or the circumstances leading up to Pablo Criollo’s demise.
At approximately 5:30 a.m., firefighters were called to the scene in Kearny NJ, of a long standing barricaded situation where a homicide suspect wanted for killing a man with a bow and arrow set fire the building they were hiding in leading to a 3rd alarm response.
Video by… pic.twitter.com/gJcsYc5o5B
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) December 21, 2025
Residents of the area expressed shock at the unusual nature of the crime. “It’s a crazy world. A bow and arrow? Who knows what people think,” one neighbor told the New York Times. “At least they caught him.” The incident is currently under further investigation.
As per NBC Philadelphia, a similar case occurred more than a decade ago in January 2013, when a 31-year-old man named Timothy Canfield used a compound bow and arrow to kill 25-year-old Kereti Paulsen.
This horrific incident happened in Berlin Borough, New Jersey. The attack stemmed from a verbal disagreement, but led to Canfield attacking with a bow and arrow, which ruptured Paulsen’s vein, leading him to bleed to death.
Canfield lied about the attack as the cops came and tried to hide the bow and arrow. Later, he was convicted of aggravated manslaughter and related charges, even though he claimed that the attack was a form of self-defense. He is now behind bars as he faces up to 55 years.
Reports suggest that Reolink, Camden, Atlantic City, Trenton, Paterson, Newark, Asbury Park, Bridgeton, Elizabeth, Irvington, and East Orange are the top places in New Jersey to report common crimes like robberies, assaults, property-related crimes, street violence, etc.
