Churchgoing Georgia woman, 46 suffered severe burns in random toxic chemical attack while walking at park
A 46‑year‑old Savannah resident was left with severe burns after a stranger poured a corrosive substance over her head while she was walking around Forsyth Park. The assault happened that evening, just after she had finished a holiday celebration at a nearby church.
While the woman—Ashley Wasielewski—was jogging through the park, a man stepped behind her and drenched her in a toxic liquid. She screamed in pain as the chemical ate through her clothing, scorched her skin, and even melted the key fob from the pocket of her car.
Friends who heard the attack called the police and rushed her to the Augusta Burn Center, where doctors are treating second‑ and third‑degree burns that cover about half of her body, including her face, scalp, hands and legs, according to her son, Westley.
Westley told reporters that he was on the phone with his mother when he heard her wail in agony, but he didn’t know who had attacked her. “She doesn’t have any enemies. She is a friend to everyone,” he said.
A close friend, Connor Milam, remembered the moment: “She was instantly like, ‘Why are you pouring water on me?’ And then her skin started to burn.” Milam described Ashley as a generous volunteer who often helped the homeless, and added that nobody had stolen anything from her. “It was a random person looking to disfigure someone,” he explained.
Police and FBI investigators are combing through surveillance feeds to identify the attacker. The suspect was last seen wearing blue jeans and a dark hooded sweatshirt emblazoned with a white cartoon rabbit. Extra patrols have been deployed in city parks while the detectives search for the individual.
“Our Police Department is treating this case with the highest urgency,” Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said in a Facebook post. “While this attack is deeply troubling, there is currently no information indicating a broader or ongoing threat to the public.”
The attacker remains at large, and authorities are seeking any information that could help bring the perpetrator to justice.
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