Hawaiian authorities are searching for a suspect who allegedly threw acid at a man’s face in Honolulu on Friday night, leaving him in critical condition, reported Fox News. Honolulu police said officers responded to an assault report shortly after 10.00 pm in the city’s Chinatown district.Witnesses reported that a 30-year-old man was crossing the street when an unidentified suspect “threw an unidentified liquid in his face, causing several burns,” as per the Honolulu police department, reports Khon 2.Emergency responders took the victim to a hospital, where he remains in critical condition, as per an HPD official, reported Fox News. The liquid was later identified as sulphuric acid by the Honolulu Fire Department, a highly corrosive chemical capable of causing serious burns to skin, eyes, and internal tissues. Officials described the suspect as a man about six feet tall, wearing a blue fitted shirt and a dew rag, with a camera around his neck and carrying a red bottle.“The preliminary investigation indicates that the victim did not know the suspect,” said an HPD spokesperson, reported Fox News. “Right now, detectives are canvassing the scene to recover any surveillance video and locate any additional witnesses.”HPD classified the incident as first-degree assault, a serious felony under Hawaii law. Detectives are yet to identify a motive, and it remains unclear whether the crime can be classified as a hate crime. “I’m actually stunned and shocked at this point, and the reason I’m stunned and shocked is because police have actually been doing a good job at patrolling the place now,” said Ernest Carvalho, a Chinatown neighbourhood board member, reported Hawaii News Now.Two years ago, a man in Mililani threw acid at a 20-year-old woman, leaving her in a critical condition.Months after that, a similar incident occurred when a 25-year-old Chinese exchange teacher was also attacked with acid.
