Six people, including three teenage girls, were injured in a horrifying acid attack in Jersey City, New Jersey, authorities said.
The attack happened just after 7 p.m. on Monday, June 15, when two suspects allegedly drove up to a group of three women and three female teenagers and threw what police believe was sulfuric acid at them, according to the Jersey City Police Department.
Neighbors described a terrifying scene as the victims screamed in pain.
“I heard fighting, and then after a couple of minutes of fighting, I heard one of the girls screaming, saying, ‘It burns! It burns!’” Amelia Sanchez told ABC 7.
Police said the attack appears to have been targeted and allegedly stemmed from an earlier dispute involving a larger group.
One juvenile has been arrested in connection with the attack, authorities said. Police are still searching for a second suspect.
All six victims were taken to the hospital with burns and peeling skin.
A 21-year-old victim was transferred to the Saint Barnabas Burn Unit on Tuesday, June 16, to be treated for second-degree burns to her face and scalp, police said.
All of the victims are in stable condition, according to NJ.com.
One neighbor told Fox 5 NY that the victims were rushed to ambulances with towels covering their faces.
“I saw the girls come out of the house; they had towels on their face and stuff like that, and they went immediately into the ambulance,” the neighbor said. “How do you get ahold of acid to even throw it on someone like that? That’s what’s baffling me.”
Jersey City Mayor James Solomon condemned the attack in a Facebook post, calling it “horrific.”
“I want our communities to know that violence like this has absolutely no place on our streets,” Solomon said.
Police have not released the identity of the suspect who was arrested because the person is a minor.
Charges are pending as the investigation continues.
