Nassau police arrest alleged Elmont attacker

After nearly five years, the person who allegedly assaulted Nafiah Ikram in Elmont was arrested and arraigned on Feb. 10, Nassau County officials said.

County police arrested Terrell Campbell, 29, of Drew Street, Brooklyn, in connection with the incident.

Ikram, then 21, was walking in her driveway on March 17, 2021 when Campbell allegedly approached her and threw a dark substance from a cup onto her face and entered her throat, police said. Further into the investigation, the liquid was determined to be 70% sulfuric acid. 

County Bruce Blakeman said at the Tuesday news conference that Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly would prosecute the case “to the fullest extent of the law.”

As a result of the attack, Ikram permanently lost eyesight in her right eye. She has undergone countless surgeries, including reconstructive grafts. The severity of the scarring to her throat has also required routine surgical procedures.

"My constituent Nafiah Ikram never gave up - and finally, after nearly 5 years, she is finally closer to some closure with the arrest and indictment of the person who assaulted her with sulfuric acid,” said Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages in a statement. “The Nassau County Police Department never gave up, and I would like to thank them for their professionalism and for standing up for victims of crime.”

Donnelly added an extensive investigation led law enforcement to pursue every possible lead over the past five years. She said new evidence that emerged last year ultimately led investigators to identify Campbell.

Prosecutors also revealed that following the attack, Campbell — a rapper — released a song titled “Obsedian,” in which he references burning a person’s face with acid.

A red Nissan Altima captured on surveillance footage during the attack did not display a license plate, initially preventing authorities from identifying the vehicle’s owner.

Late last year, investigators received vital information from community members, and with the assistance of technology companies, they were ultimately able to identify Campbell as a suspect.

Campbell is charged with two counts of assault, criminal possession of a weapon and unlawfully possessing noxious matter.

He was arraigned at First District Court before Judge Joy Watson, 99 Main St. in Hempstead, on Feb. 10.