Three teenage girls have been arrested in Jersey City for allegedly throwing acid at a group of six women last month, according to a city spokesperson.
Kim Wallace-Scalcione, a representative from the Jersey City Department of Public Safety, stated that on June 15, a group of six women was approached near Wilkinson Street, where “someone came up and threw what seemed to be sulfuric acid” at them.
The suspects, aged 13, 14, and 15, are in custody for their involvement in the attacks that occurred on June 16 and 17.
Scalcione noted that all six victims were taken to local hospitals to treat non-life-threatening injuries, which included skin burns and peeling.
Among the victims were three teenagers; one 21-year-old woman required treatment in the burn unit for second-degree burns on her face and scalp, Scalcione reported.
The arrested girls face charges that include aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, bodily injury, and conspiracy. Scalcione mentioned that the incident “seems to have been targeted and might have originated from a prior conflict involving a larger group.”
Details about the suspects remain undisclosed.
Interestingly, the women were reportedly in their car when a group of teenage boys passed by on a moped and doused them with sulfuric acid.
Sulfuric acid, as highlighted by the National Library of Medicine, is known for being a corrosive substance that can result in severe burns and tissue damage upon contact with skin or mucous membranes.
This attack comes on the heels of another incident in Brooklyn, where a 31-year-old man was apprehended for allegedly planning a similar assault on his ex-girlfriend.
In that case, the man, Shaquille Koch, pleaded not guilty to charges, including first-degree assault related to the 2021 attack involving a 21-year-old woman. Prosecutors revealed that the substance used in that incident was later identified as being 70% sulfuric acid.
