Hilton Head acid attack victim pleads for someone to come forward with answers

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (WTOC) - The recent chemical attack in Savannah has struck fear in Maria Hernandez, who was attacked with chemicals last year on Hilton Head Island.

No arrests have been made in her case.

She’s pleading for someone to come forward to reopen the case after the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office closed it pending the availability of new information. She believes somebody saw something that night that can help, and if an arrest is made, her constant fear will go away.

We spoke with her along with her son, Francisco, who translated for us.

“She said that when they attacked her, she saw two other cars on the road. Obviously, they saw something, but they didn’t stop. Those two cars know something but stayed quiet,” Francisco said.

The night of her attack on December 20, Hernandez says she was coming home from the bank when she was robbed, and before the attackers left, they threw a chemical at her.

“The moment I got attacked, I thought I was going to die,” Hernandez said. The chemical burned her face, chest, arm, and leg - just like the attack that happened in Savannah.

“I’m sorry that happened to her. I know how it feels because I went through all the processes she is going to go through.”

She had plans to spend the Christmas holiday at home with her family, but that suddenly turned into a stay at a hospital in Charleston. Piles of medical bills, a regimen of medicine, and small donations from the community now surround the home of Hernandez.

“There are nights that I still can’t sleep,” her son said.

And she is still feeling repercussions from the attack, as it put her out of work and created some unforeseen medical scares, like passing out at home.

“She says that this wasn’t the first time; it happened before, and since the attack, our lives have changed drastically.”

Anyone with information that could help open the case back up and lead law enforcement to suspects is asked to call the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, or you can submit your tips anonymously through Crimestoppers or the P3 Tips app.

Hernandez just completed her first laser surgery in November, but still has several left. If you would like to help with the family’s medical expenses, click here.