Arizona Mom Hit With Acid Days After Similar Attack on Woman in Washington

An Arizona mother is suffering from severe burns to her face and chest after another woman allegedly threw a powerful acid at her face, MyFoxPhoenix.com reports.

Authorities said Derri Velarde of Mesa, Ariz., was getting out of her car at an apartment complex on Friday when a female suspect approached her and threw acid in her face, according to the station.

Investigators reportedly believe the incident was not a random attack and say the suspect hid behind Velarde’s vehicle, waiting for the 41-year-old to get out of work.

“I don’t know what could go through a person’s head to do something like that,” David Dias, the victim’s son, told KPHO.com. “I mean if it was jealousy or trying to hurt someone’s appearance like that, it’s disgusting and wrong and there’s a special place in hell for people like that.”

“When I saw her for the first time, when she was being wheeled out of the room, I saw the burn marks and the scars. and at first she was happy to see us. Then you could see she broke down, and it’s tough to see your mom like that,” Dias told the website.

Police are searching for the suspect, described as 30 to 40 year-old Hispanic female, 5’6″ and weighing 140 pounds. The suspect is believed to have black shoulder-length hair, authorities said, and was reportedly wearing a black tank top and black sweat pants with a white stripe at the time of the attack.

The assault on Velarde comes just days after 28-year-old Bethany Storro was attacked in Vancouver, Wash., with an acid that disintegrated her clothing and left her with severe burns to her face and chest.

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