Woman Burned in Random Chemical Attack in Savannah Park

A 46-year-old woman is recovering from severe burns after an unknown man doused her with a corrosive chemical during an evening walk in a Savannah, Georgia, park on Wednesday.

Ashley Wasielewski was strolling along the perimeter of Forsyth Park around 8:15 p.m. when the assailant approached her from behind and poured the unidentified substance over her head. The attack occurred shortly after she had attended a Christmas program at a nearby church and decided to walk laps for exercise. According to her son, Westley Wasielewski, she noticed a shadow before turning to face the person, who then dumped the liquid on her. "She was instantly like, 'Why are you pouring water on me?' And then her skin started to burn," her close friend Connor Milam recounted. "She looked down, and her pants were starting to burn off her body. She started screaming."

Wasielewski fled across the street in agony, where a bystander called emergency services. First responders treated her on site before transporting her to Memorial Hospital in Savannah and later to the Augusta Burn Center for specialized care. She sustained second- and third-degree burns covering more than half her body, including her scalp,...