PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Police are searching for three kids they say threw an unknown chemical substance on a woman as she was heading to celebrate Pride over the weekend.
Officials say three kids, believed to be between eight and 12 years old, threw what police described as a “caustic substance” at the woman, identified as Diana on a GoFundMe page, as she was walking down South 51st Street around 1:40 a.m. Sunday.
Surveillance footage did not capture the incident, but did pick up some of the aftermath: The kids walking away and heading toward the El. They got on at 52nd Street and got off at 60th Street.
Diana has severe burns to her face, arms, legs and torso.
“There was no interaction. Nothing led up to this event when she was hit in the face and chest with some unknown liquid,” said Police Captain Robert McKeever to our newsgathering partners at NBC10.
Councilmember Rue Landau said no matter the age of the suspected perpetrators, the timing of their attack hurts.
“This is a moment when our community is supposed to come together and be joyful. But just to know that this incident and others occurred on Pride, is just really painful.”
A GoFundMe has been set up in her honor. It says she has been in a “full body gauze since the attack and will need at least two skin grafts.” So far, more than $45,000 has been raised to support her recovery.
Police say, depending on the juveniles’ ages, they might try to get them resources outside of detention when they catch them.
“Going through processes that would be helpful in some sort of restorative justice, or turning them on the right track," Landau said.