A Staten Island woman who claimed she was the victim of an acid attack has recanted her story, admitting to police she carried the act out on herself.
Local woman Lizzie Dunn said she was attacked by a Black woman in her 40’s near her bus stop earlier this week, according to Inside Edition. She claimed the woman approached her asking for cigarettes and money, which Dunn denied. That’s when she said the woman sprayed her in the face with sulfuric acid.
“It seemed like she was spraying a lot of times, like she had to keep pressing nozzle,” Dunn told CBS New York. “With my right hand I tried to grab the can and knock it out of her hand and with the left hand I was trying to shield whatever spray she was misting on me.”
With her skin and eyes burning, Dunn managed to stumble into a nearby deli, sparking panic in the restaurant and throughout the neighborhood. The police even put up “crime stopper” signs to warn locals of the potential danger, the news program reported.
That all changed last Tuesday after police say Dun admitted to spraying the acid on herself. Speaking to the New York Daily News, an NYPD spokesperson said detectives realized Dunn, 52, had lied about the assault after pressing her for more details about her alleged attacker.
Dunn suffered second-degree burns to the left side of her face as well as her scalp. Cops said she has a history of self-harm.
It’s still unclear if she’ll be charged with filing a false report.
