A 44-year-old male victim described a terrifying sequence of events after an unidentified individual approached him from behind near the intersection of Park Avenue and East 116th Street in East Harlem on Monday evening. According to NYPD reports, the assailant threw an unknown substance on the man’s face and neck around 8:47 p.m., causing severe burns that left lasting injuries. The victim fled the scene but returned to Cravin Crispy, where he screamed for help after the attack.
The victim recounted feeling a “splash of something,” followed by “a complete burn.” The substance quickly turned black and “ate through the hoodie,” leaving him with blisters, discoloration—black areas, white patches, and pink regions—and burns on his left face, ear, and neck. Medical professionals confirmed he was fortunate the substance did not contact his eyes, a detail the victim emphasized as critical for avoiding permanent blindness in that eye.
Oscar Perez, who worked behind the counter at Cravin Crispy during the incident, witnessed the assailant carrying what appeared to be a pot but had no expectation of an attack. “It looked hot. It was bubbling, it was smoking. Only God knows what it was,” Perez told local media. He described being “traumatized for my life” after seeing the victim’s injuries and realizing the attacker had fled on foot toward northbound Park Avenue.
The victim said he does not fully understand what occurred until viewing video footage of the attack, though doctors confirmed he will require a skin-graft procedure. Alcantara expressed hope that the suspect would not harm anyone else in the future, stating, “I have black areas on my skin… and I also have blisters in certain areas.” Police are actively searching for the unidentified individual who threw the substance, which left stains on the sidewalk as well as permanent marks on the victim’s body.
