Arrests Made In Pair Of Acid Attacks

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Mar 26, 2010 2:40PM

It's been two years since an acid attack in Logan Square but a pair of new area acid attacks has us thinking of that one again. South Shore woman Charlis Harris was arrested earlier this week for allegedly attacking and disfiguring another woman by flinging acid at her, firing a gun at the woman, and then damaging the woman's car with a hammer. As if that isn't bad enough, police were able to track Harris down at a nearby hospital because she had taken her daughter there for treatment. Why? Because after the attack, it seems Harris accidentally splashed some of the acid on her own daughter who was in her car at the time of the attack. Harris has been charged with with aggravated assault, heinous battery and unlawful use of a weapon.

But that wasn't the only acid attack in the area this week. Three Ford Heights women, ages 18, 25 and 41, were injured when another female, 17 years old, got into an argument with the women and flung acid on them; the suspect also sustained burns. According to CBS 2:

Witnesses told police the injured women knew each other, and were standing in the front yard of a home when an argument began, [Cook County Sheriff's office spokesman Steve] Patterson said. The teen girl then left and came back with the caustic substance she threw at the others.

The suspect and the 18-year-old victim suffered severe enough injuries to be transferred to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood's Health System Burn Center for specialty care, Patterson said. The other two victims remained hospitalized at St. James Hospital Wednesday night.

Authorities were also investigating the involvement of three others at the scene.