Nafiah Ikram Long Island Muslim college student doused in acid attack, leaving her with severe burns and partially blind: no arrests as the perpetrator remains at large.
A New York woman was doused with acid at her home driveway last month, leaving her partially blind and with severe burns. The perpetrator has yet to be arrested.
Nafiah Ikram, 21, a Pakistani-American, suffered severe burns all over her face outside of her Elmont, Long Island home in the March attack that her family believes was ‘planned’.
Surveillance footage shows Nafiah a college student at Hofstra University, arriving home with her mother moments before the horrific incident.
Her mother is seen walking into their home as Nafiah walks over to the passenger side to get something out of her vehicle.
As she walks toward the house door, a man running at full speed appears and douses Nafiah with a cup of acid before sprinting off. The ambushed woman incurred burns to her face, her eye, her throat, her arms. Her parents were also scarred trying to help.
‘What could have provoked someone to do this to me?’
The attack led to Ikram spending 15 days in hospital after the March 17 attack, according to a statement from the New York Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY).
Told Nafiah via CBSNY: ‘I was just living my life. I was minding my business. What could have provoked someone to do this to me? What could’ve got them so angry,’
Adding, ‘I don’t know, but this is so inhumane.’
Told the victim’s father, Sheikh Ikram, 50, via the New York Post: ‘It’s not a random attack, it’s a planned attack. They waited for her to come home.’
Nassau County police described the suspect as a tall slim man around 6ft tall, wearing a sweatshirt and gloves.
He was also said to be carrying ‘a white colored cup containing a dark colored substance which he then threw at the victim’s face’.
Sheikh believes his daughter survived the attack because his wife was home and was able to rush Nafiah to the hospital.
Hate crime? Attacked cause she is Muslim?
According to the Post, Nafiah is studying medicine at Hofstra University, and has plans to be a doctor.
She just starting to be able to talk again and still struggles to eat or drink.
‘She is very scared. My wife, she sleeps with her every night,’ Sheikh told the Post.
Sheikh also said that his wife has to bathe their daughter because she’s still in pain.
It’s still unclear if Nafiah will regain her vision after the acid caused her contacts to melt into her eyes. It’s also unclear if the incident was a hate crime.
The family have questioned if the attack was indeed a hate crime, wondering why only Nafiah was targeted and not the mother who like her daughter is of Muslim faith.
Reward money leading to arrest doubled
Nafiah stressed there were no spurned ex boyfriends.
Since the incident, supporters have donated nearly $398,468 to pay for Nafiah’s medical costs.
Authorities released an image of a vehicle they believe the suspect drove off in following the attack. The identity of the perpetrator remained unknown as he continued to remain free at large.
The Nassau County Police Department said a $10,000 reward is being offered to anyone who can identify the suspect or offer information that leads to his arrest. Police have since doubled the reward to $20K as they vow to bring the man in.
