A Milwaukee man sustained second-degree burns to his face when he was attacked with acid in an apparent hate crime, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports.
Mahud Villalaz, 42, who is an American citizen, said a white man in his 50s or 60s berated him and threw acid at him.
Milwaukee TV station WISN obtained and published security video showing the attack.
#BREAKING – Video shows the moment a man was hit with battery acid. Police arrested the culprit & call it a hate crime because the victim, who is Latino, says before he was hit by the white male suspect he called him “illegal” STORY: https://t.co/WAiX44Sx9d pic.twitter.com/pb2agxS6Go
— Chernéy Amhara (@CherneyAmharaTV) November 3, 2019
A GoFundMe campaign was established to help Villalaz pay for medical bills and cover lost wages. As of Monday morning, it had exceeded its $15,000 goal.
Police say they have arrested a 61-year-old man in connection with an aggravated assault in the same area, but have not confirmed he is a suspect in the attack on Villalaz.
Villalaz was born in Peru and immigrated to the United States as a young man. He is an American citizen and works as a welder, according to the text of the GoFundMe page, written by his sister Priscilla. She wrote that he will be unable to return to work until he is fully recovered.
