A 44-year-old man, Alcantara, suffered severe burns to his face and neck after an unidentified individual hurled a hot, bubbling substance on him outside Cravin Crispy in East Harlem.
New York City Police reported the incident occurred around 8:47 p.m. Monday near Park Avenue and East 116th Street. The suspect approached from behind, threw the unknown substance, and fled northbound on Park Avenue. Authorities are seeking the individual for assault.
Alcantara described feeling “a splash of something, and then after I felt the splash … a complete burn. It just turned black, and it ate through the hoodie.” He now has black areas, white patches, pink skin, and blisters on his left side of face, ear, and neck.
The victim ran into the restaurant where Oscar Perez, who works behind the counter, said he was shaken by the incident. “It looked hot. It was bubbling, it was smoking. Only God knows what it was,” Perez added.
Doctors confirmed Alcantara is fortunate his eyes were spared from the substance, which could have caused blindness in that eye. He will require a skin-graft procedure and may never look the same. Alcantara expressed hope the suspect does not harm anyone else.
