More than two years have passed since Sewanhaka alum Nafiah Ikram had acid thrown in her face, but the unknown assailant has not been arrested and still remains at large.
Ikram was the victim of an acid attack outside her Elmont home in March 2021. The acid caused Ikram to scream, which resulted in the liquid spreading to her mouth, according to a GoFundMe page to help pay for the various medical procedures she needed. Her tongue and throat were burned as a result of the attack, which also left her with burns and scars on her face, according to the page.
Ikram and her family last week renewed their calls for justice and implored the community to provide police with any information on the attacker.
“I constantly have this fear of this happening to me again or reliving it,” Ikram said in a news conference outside her house.
Ikram ran into the house, where her parents attempted to help her, but the acid burned her parents’ arms and hands as well, the page said. The acid caused “severe burning” on Ikram’s eyes, chest and arms, according to the post. She was also wearing contact lenses, which were melted to her eyes as a result of the acid.
“Two years have passed by and, unfortunately, that’s why it feels like nothing has been done becuase it’s like my sight is still not there.”
Ikram’s mother, Sherina Mohamed, was walking into the house with her daughter that March night and urged anyone with information to “be a human being” and come forward to help bring the acid thrower to justice.
Ikram, who lost more than 10 pounds in 10 days after her eighth surgery, said she will not feel fully safe until the attacker is caught.
“I am a rock, but like all the rocks in the world, it’s gradually fading away,” Mohamed said last week. “That’s what is happening with us.”
The attacker, police said, was about 6-foot-2 with a skinny build who wore a black hooded sweatshirt and gloves before fleeing the area in a red 2013-2015 Nissan Altima.
Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages (D-Valley Stream), who pressed for a bigger reward, expressed his gratitude to the county and the FBI for helping to incentivize others to find the assailant and commended Ikram for her strength throughout the search.
“Nafiah Ikram has inspired all of us with the determination, dignity and courage she has demonstrated throughout this unthinkable ordeal,” Solages said. “I am very thankful for the cooperation and strong support from the Nassau County Police Department and the FBI, and I believe that together, we’re going to make justice happen for Nafiah.”
The reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect was increased from $40,000 to $50,000, officials announced in February.
The county will pay $30,000 in reward money while the FBI, which is aiding the county in its search, will pay the other $20,000.
The GoFundMe page has raised more than $570,000 for Ikram since being launched following the attack. Ikram occasionally posts updates on her surgeries and the road to recovery.
In a January update, she said she remains grateful for friends, family, medical professionals and others who have aided her in the recovery journey.
