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Md. man charged with throwing sulfuric acid on roommate

A August 20, 2015 file photo of a Prince George's County police car. (草莓传媒/Dave Dildine)

WASHINGTON 鈥 A Hyattsville, Maryland, man has been charged with attempted murder after police said he threw sulfuric acid on his roommate, causing serious burns.

Court documents say that Bekre Abdela, 28, has been charged with attempted first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment.

Police said they were called to a house on the East-West Highway just east of New Hampshire Avenue at about 7:30 p.m. Saturday and found a woman suffering from what looked to be chemical burns. She was diagnosed with first-degree burns on her face and second- and third-degree burns on her upper body.

She told the police that 鈥渕y roommate threw acid on my face鈥 and referred to her attacker as 鈥淏ekre,鈥 the documents said. She was then taken to a hospital and placed in a medically induced coma; she remains in critical condition.

Abdela wasn鈥檛 at the house when police responded, but investigators found a bottle of 93 percent sulfuric acid in his bedroom, as well as several boxes of handgun ammunition, the documents said.

Detectives said they found a trail of blood and acid throughout the house, connecting Abdela鈥檚 bedroom to the victim’s.

Abdela鈥檚 Facebook page says he has a background in chemical engineering. The solution, which is used to dissolve metals such as silver and iron, is available online.

Abdela is being held without bond. Police said he has “admitted his involvement in the attack.”

草莓传媒’s Teta Alim contributed to this report.

Rick Massimo

Rick Massimo came to 草莓传媒, and to Washington, in 2013 after having lived in Providence, R.I., since he was a child.聽He's the author of "A Walking Tour of the Georgetown Set" and "I Got a Song: A History of the Newport Folk Festival."

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