Arrest in Elmont acid attack on Nafiah Ikram, law enforcement sources say

A man has been arrested in the 2021 attack of an Elmont college student who was splashed in the face with sulfuric acid in her driveway as she returned home from work, a law enforcement source said Tuesday.

Nassau prosecutors obtained a sealed indictment from a grand jury ahead of an arraignment Tuesday in Nassau County Court.

The March 17, 2021, attack permanently scarred the woman, Nafiah Ikram, who suffered burns to her face and arms. Police said the unknown assailant approached her in the driveway of her home after she returned home from her job at CVS.

Ikram, now 26, told Newsday that as she walked around her mother’s car, carrying a bag of oxtail, she saw a hooded man wearing a ski mask who threw a cup of liquid in her face, that she first thought was warm juice.

The acid damaged her eyes, and she suffered second- and third-degree burns to her face, chest and arms. The acid melted her contact lenses, blinding her in the right eye.

The FBI and police released photos of a 2013-15 red Nissan Altima speeding way from Ikram’s Elmont home. The attack drew national attention, and authorities offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Police have released few details about their investigation. Shortly after the attack, police said there was no evidence to determine whether it was a hate crime. Ikram and her family said they did not believe she was targeted due to her race or religion.

Ikram said in an interview last year that she resumed classes at Hofstra University after battling anxiety and depression. She underwent multiple surgeries and hopes to one day become a doctor.

Ikram said she hoped to find her attacker so no one else gets hurt.

“I wouldn’t want this to happen to someone else,” Ikram said in an interview last year. “Honestly, it’s the worst, and it’s a very, very difficult thing to go through mentally,” she said.