A Detroit teen has been charged after she allegedly attacked another girl with acid at a Detroit Public Schools Community District playground. The unidentified juvenile, 12, is charged with one count each of assault with intent to do great bodily harm and felonious assault in connection to the July 9 incident.
Deaira Summers, the victim, is on the mend after sustaining second and third-degree burns on her body, starting at her back and downward. She spent four days in the burn unit at Children’s Hospital. The 11-year-old told Fox 2 that her cousin and the girl were involved in a fight when the altercation escalated.
“Her mother met her in the park and gave her the chemical to throw on the kids, and she told the kids that’s what they get for messing with her daughter,” claimed Dominique Summers, the child’s mother. Deaira, her siblings, and her cousins managed to escape at first, but the tween returned to the playground after realizing she left her purse behind. That is when she was doused in the acid. Her clothes began to smoke as the liquid deteriorated the fabric and then her skin.
The 12-year-old appears in court on Saturday for a preliminary hearing, according to WKRC-TV. Her bond has been set at $10,000, and she is due back in court on Tuesday (July 18). “This is an extremely troubling set of allegations. Instant, horrible decision-making can have lifelong effects on others. There is no excuse for this,” said Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy in a statement released to the media. The district also issued a statement that read, “The incident did not involve our employees, [nor] was it connected to a district or school event. This is a community matter involving two families that do not both attend our school district or the school.”
As for Deaira, a GoFundMe has been launched to help cover medical and ongoing costs for her healing. To donate, click here.