A YOUNG man has been arrested for allegedly injuring two pedestrians by pouring sulfuric acid on them in Bao’an District on Jan. 20 and 21, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported Thursday.

    The 23-year-old suspect, a Guangdong native, allegedly rode an electric bike with a hat and a mask while splashing acid on an elderly man, surnamed Zhan, in the Shajing area of Bao’an and fled the scene on the night of Jan. 20, according to the newspaper.

    Zhan was immediately taken to a Bao’an District hospital for treatment.

    He suffered burns to his right eye, face, hands and feet. An unidentified doctor treating him at the hospital said Zhan will likely lose eyesight in his right eye. Zhan said he didn’t know the suspect, identified as Wei.

    The next day, another man was taken to the same hospital for treatment after he was also injured by acid while walking on the street in the subdistrict. The man also said he didn’t know the attacker.

    Based on surveillance footage, Bao’an police arrested Wei on Tuesday in a residential community in the district’s Fuyong area and seized some sulfuric acid, an electric bike, clothes, a hat and a mask.

    The suspect admitted to the acid attacks, claiming that he had sustained a brain injury after a fight. However, police said he is not insane, but is likely to behave in an “extreme” manner.

    “The suspect said he purchased the acid just to wash a toilet. He is unemployed and has no family members in the city,” said Liu Liang, a police officer in Bao’an.

    The two victims are in stable conditions. A motive for the attacks has not yet been determined. (Luo Songsong)