A teenage Brooklyn girl is under arrest for an acid attack on a friend during chemistry class at Fort Hamilton High School, admitting to cops that she wanted to burn the victim’s eyes out and saying she got what she deserved.
Zhanna Smsarian, 16, of 21st Avenue was charged with attempted assault and other offenses after she allegedly poured diluted hydrochloric acid over the head and face of Albina Eshimbaeva,15, of North Portland Avenue Brooklyn.
Cops said the pair were in chemistry class at 10:45 a.m. yesterday when Smsarian, sitting behind the victim, grabbed the bottle of acid and emptied it all over Eshimbaeva’s head.
Police said the acid dripped down into her face and eyes and that the teacher immediately started flushing the girl’s eyes and face with water.
The victim was rushed to Staten Island Hospital burn center, where staff said she would surely have been blinded if the acid had not been weakened when diluted.
Eshimbaeva said that she and Smsarian used to be friends – so she was “shocked” that Smsarian would brutally attack her, apparently at random.
“During [the class before chemistry, Smsarian] was staring at me and giving me an evil grin,” Eshimbaeva said. “That made me uncomfortable – somehow I knew something was gonna happen.”
When the two went to chemistry class, Eshimbaeva said that Smsarian was getting more aggressive and even stole her assigned seat.
But Eshimbaeva was unfazed – until class ended.
“She was standing behind me – I felt it,” Eshimbaeva said. “I felt something was coming. All of a sudden I feel liquid flowing down my forehead. I thought it was water, until I turned and saw the beaker in her hand that had the acid label. Then my skin started burning.”
“She should be brought to justice,” Eshimbaeva said.
Eshimbaeva denied other reports that a Staten Island boy was involved in the incident.
“There are a lot of rumors going around. I have no idea who this boy is.”
Eshimbaeva’s mother, Syrga, said that she’s both livid and scared for her daughter.
“That girl [Smsarian] is a psycho person!” she said.
She added: “She needs to be punished properly. My daughter could have been blinded!”
Eshimbaeva is already back in school and didn’t have any scars from the attack, but her mother is now worried about keeping her at the high school.
“She had redness and irritation from the acid,” her mother said. “The school teacher flushed her face with water – I think that saved her.”
“I’m very angry – any parent would be,” she said. “I’m just glad my daughter is safe.”
The victim had turned around and saw Smsarian putting the bottle down, and the teacher also witnessed the attack, cops said.
School officials called police, who took Smsarian into custody. She was also charged with criminal possession of a weapon, possession of noxious material and harassment. She is awaiting arraignment.
A classmate who knows people in the chemistry class said there was a history of bad blood between the two, and that “Zhanna was always flipping out over little stuff.”
Albina was a squad leader in the school’s Junior ROTC Tiger Battallion, and Zhanna was a member of her squad who’d broken a rule against wearing nail polish.
“Zhanna was wearing nail polish and she’s not supposed to, and Albina told. She flipped out. Zhanna’s weird, she’s always flipping out,” the female classmate said.
Dressed in patent leather shoes and a ROTC unfiorm, the dark-haired teen was arraigned today in Brooklyn Criminal Court, where the judge set a $7,500 bond and issued an order of protection prohhibiting her from any contact with the victim, including phone calls, texting and email.
She was accompanied by her parents, who declined comment, and a younger brother.
Her lawyer defended her.
“She’s never been in any trouble before. She’s an honor roll student with excellent grades,” said Igor Vaysberg, adding that the suspect also plays on the volleyball team.