A woman in Georgia experienced a shocking attack while strolling through a park, where she was splashed with harmful chemicals that caused severe burns. The assailant is still evading capture.
Ashley Wasilewski, 46, was walking around Forsyth Park in Savannah on Wednesday night after a Christmas event at a local church. Suddenly, a stranger came up from behind and dumped a corrosive liquid on her, leaving friends and family horrified.
She screamed in pain as the chemicals burned her skin, damaged her clothing, and even melted her keychain.
“She asked, ‘Why are you throwing water on me?’ And then her skin started burning,” noted Connor Milam, a close friend who described her as very community-oriented and generous.
As Wasilewski looked down, she noticed her pants beginning to disintegrate. She cried out; it was clear this attack wasn’t a robbery—just an unprovoked act of violence from someone who set out to harm her.
She was rushed to the Augusta Burn Center, suffering from second- and third-degree burns affecting much of her body, including her face and limbs, according to her son Westley.
Westley learned of the incident from a good Samaritan who helped his mother. He was understandably shaken, recalling the sounds of her agony over the phone.
“We don’t know who did it,” he said. “She’s a friend to everyone; she doesn’t have enemies.”
Meanwhile, local authorities are collaborating with the FBI to analyze the chemicals used and pursue leads on the attacker. They have increased patrol in city parks.
The suspect, described as wearing blue jeans and a black hoodie featuring a white cartoon rabbit, was spotted on surveillance footage.
“We’re treating this incident with utmost urgency,” stated Savannah Mayor Van Johnson in a recent Facebook update.
Although this incident is alarming, he emphasized that there is no current indication of an ongoing threat to the public.
