The Philadelphia Police Department is looking for three juveniles who they say attacked a woman with a corrosive chemical, causing burns to her face and body.
The victim, unnamed by police, was walking down a West Philadelphia street at around 1:30 p.m. Sunday when a chemical was thrown on her, PPD said in a release.
“She was walking down the street going to her destination with her earphones in, so there was no interaction, nothing led up to this event,” PPD Cpt. Robert McKeever told WPVI-TV.
Her friends told WPVI-TV that her name is Diana; she is keeping her surname private for her safety.
The juveniles police have accused of committing the attack boarded a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority train shortly afterwards, police said, while the victim was hospitalized.
PPD Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said the juvenile suspects are between 8 and 12 years old, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Police did not say which chemical was used, but investigators indicated Friday that it could have been battery acid, according to WTXF-TV.
Diana’s friends told the Philadelphia Inquirer that she is a transgender woman who was on her way to Pride celebrations Sunday, the first day of Pride month. Philadelphia also had its Pride march on Sunday.
“She deserves to heal and go through this process with all the support she needs. She’s a really cool person, and this is shocking,” one of the victim’s friends, A.J. Frigoletto, told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Another friend, Shiloh Colon, told WPVI-TV that “we really strongly believe this was a hate crime.”
Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, a Democrat, said on social media that she is “horrified that one of our transgender neighbors was attacked by what appears to be battery acid. 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.”
