Woman suffers burns after three children throw suspected acid on her in West Philly, police say
The woman was attacked while on her way to Pride celebrations, friends said.
A 25-year-old woman was left with severe burns after three children threw what police suspect was acid on her in West Philadelphia, police said.
The victim, whom police did not identify, was getting off the L train at 52nd and Market Streets shortly after 1:30 p.m. Sunday when three children between the ages of 8 and 12 approached her and threw a corrosive substance at her, said Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore.
The victim suffered burns to her face, chest, and one arm, he said, and was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and later transferred to Temple University Hospital’s burn unit, where she was in stable condition.
Police are searching for surveillance video of the incident and continuing to investigate. They have made no arrests and have not determined a motive for the attack.
The victim, who friends said is a trans woman, was on her way to meet friends in West Philadelphia to attend Pride celebrations when she was attacked, said her friend A.J. Frigoletto.
Frigoletto, who met the woman at Dirty Franks bar, where she hosted queer bingo nights, said he had been messaging her 20 minutes earlier and was going to join her at the Pride gathering. He said he learned of the assault when she posted on Instagram that she was in the hospital.
Police did not say whether they were investigating the incident as a hate crime.
Frigoletto described the woman as warm and funny, with a great sense of humor and a love of Memphis rap. At the bingo nights she hosted, he said, she was welcoming to all.
The assault on the first day of Pride month and the day of the Pride march, a celebration of the LGBTQ community, shook the woman’s tight-knit circle of friends and loved ones, he said.
Friends created a GoFundMe to help the woman with medical and living expenses, as she is expected to spend weeks in the hospital as she undergoes skin grafts and faces a long recovery ahead, Frigoletto said.
“She deserves to heal and go through this process with all the support she needs,” he said. “She’s a really cool person, and this is shocking.”
In a post on X, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, who represents much of West Philadelphia, decried the attack and attributed it to anti-trans rhetoric coming from the nation’s capital.
“I am horrified that one of our transgender neighbors was attacked by what appears to be battery acid,” Gauthier said in the post. “Young people are not born with hate in their hearts. Instead, the politically motivated, anti-trans hatred spewing out of Washington indoctrinates our kids and incites terrible violence.
“To our trans community, know that I am and will always be your fierce and unapologetic ally,” she added.