Eugene woman attacked with acid, glass multiple times since March in possible hate crimes
The Eugene woman who had acid thrown on her while walking her dog in March now has been the target of additional attacks at her home, believed to be committed by the same suspect, according to the Eugene Police Department.
EPD is also investigating it as a bias crime after the suspect made comments about the 26-year-old's Native American ethnicity.
The latest incident came early Tuesday morning, when she opened her door to the outside and someone threw acid on her, police spokeswoman Melinda McLaughlin said Tuesday. The woman reported the incident at 5:30 a.m. and was transported to the hospital for chemical burns and treatment.
The first reported incident occurred March 28, when the woman was walking her dog in the area of Arthur Street and West 15th Court and a full cup of acid was thrown on her, which required hospital treatment for her chemical burns. The attacker was described as a white male in his early 20s, wearing dark or black clothing and a face mask.
The woman has experienced other threatening experiences thought to be done by the same person. In a non acid-related incident April 26, the victim called 911 to report an unknown person jiggling her home's door handle and attempting to open it, McLaughlin said. The victim was able to partially see the person and believed it to be the same attacker from March.
First report:Man throws acid on woman walking dog in Eugene; police investigating as possible hate crime
On June 19, the woman reported a man had broken into her residence, poured a chemical on her and lit her on fire. She put out the flames using a sandal and was treated for burns at the hospital and released, McLaughlin said. She described the suspect as looking the same as in the other encounters.
An incident that initially went unreported, but was reported during the March 28 investigation, occurred sometime in November 2021, where the victim reported an unknown attacker threw a cup full of glass shards on her while she was walking her dog. She sustained cuts and other minor injuries.
All incidents remain open and are actively being investigated, McLaughlin said. During the incidents on March 28 and June 28, the victim said the suspect made statements about her ethnicity. She is Native American.
McLaughlin described the suspect as a white male, age 17-20, with dirty blond hair and last seen wearing black pants, black, pulled-up hoodie, and dark-colored boots/shoes. The victim did not get a good look at the suspect’s face due to the darkness, but he may have had freckles, McLaughlin said.
Police are seeking any relevant tips that may help investigators and ask they call Detective Glenn Gilhuber at 541-682-5569 and refer to cases 22-04892 or 22-09739.
Louis Krauss covers breaking news for The Register-Guard. Contact him at lkrauss@registerguard.com, and follow him on Twitter @LouisKraussNews.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Native American woman attacked with acid multiple times in Eugene
