Investigators have not determined what substance was thrown at the 40-year-old victim or why he was targeted.
NEW YORK — Police are investigating an attack in East Harlem after a man approached a 40-year-old stranger from behind and threw an unknown liquid onto him, leaving the victim with burns to his face and neck, according to reporting on the incident.
The attack happened Monday night outside Cravin Crispy on 116th Street. Surveillance video described by NBC New York shows the victim standing with his back toward the approaching man before the substance is thrown at him. The victim was waiting for a food order when he was attacked, restaurant employees told the station.
Investigators said the two men did not know each other, leaving police without a publicly known explanation for why the victim was targeted. Authorities also had not determined what type of liquid was used. Those unanswered questions are central to the investigation because the substance caused burns after making contact with the victim’s face and neck.
Workers at the restaurant said a white residue remained on the sidewalk after the attack. Police returned to the area Tuesday as investigators continued examining what happened, restaurant employee Oscar Perez told NBC New York. Officials had not released information identifying the substance or explaining whether the residue had been collected or tested.
The surveillance footage provides investigators with a record of the moments surrounding the attack, but authorities had not publicly identified the person seen approaching the victim. The available reporting did not establish whether the attacker and victim exchanged words before the recorded encounter or whether anything happened nearby that might explain the assault.
Police said the men were not known to each other. That detail has heightened attention around the case because investigators had not announced a dispute, robbery or other apparent reason for the attack. Authorities had also not released a suspected motive, and no motive could be confirmed from the available information.
The victim’s name had not been made public. Restaurant staff said he had been waiting for an order shortly before the attack. Beyond his age and the reported burns to his face and neck, authorities had not released additional information about his identity or publicly detailed his medical treatment and recovery.
The incident also left people who work and live in the area concerned about the apparent lack of any known connection between the two men. East Harlem resident Tanya Leslie told NBC New York that an attack involving a stranger made the episode particularly troubling for the neighborhood.
The investigation remained open Wednesday. The identity of the attacker, the nature of the liquid and the reason the victim was targeted had not been publicly established, leaving police with several major questions as they continued reviewing the circumstances surrounding the attack.
Author note: Last updated September 30, 2026.