MAJOR UPDATE: Bethany Storro now admits she faked story of acid attack; her burns were self-inflicted:
Bethany Storro was embraced as the face of resilience this month when she survived a stranger’s vicious acid attack and showed the world her disfiguring burns.
But now, police say, she did the damage to herself.
Storro, 28, made headlines when she reported being the victim of a horrific attack inflicted by a stranger.
A woman approached her with a cup, Storro said, taunting, “Hey pretty girl, do you want to drink this?” before throwing acid on her face.
The pretty Vancouver native immediately received an outpouring of support, appearing on numerous morning shows and getting well wishes from Facebook groups like “Send hugs to Bethany Storro.”
But now, police say, Storro has admitted there was no attacker.
“Several discrepancies began to emerge regarding the alleged attack,” Vancouver Police Chief Clifford Cook told The Associated Press. Ultimately, as police continued to investigate, “Ms. Storro admitted the injuries were self-inflicted.”
At the time, Storro described the attack in heart-rending detail.
“It was the most painful thing ever,” she said from the hospital. “My heart stopped. It ripped through my clothing the instant it touched my shirt; I could feel it burning through my second layer of skin.”
She also offered information about her assailant, though she kept the details vague.
“I have never, ever seen this girl in my entire life,” Storro said at the time. “When I first saw her, she had this weirdness about her – like jealousy, rage.”
Just a week ago, Storro held another press conference, reiterating that she wanted to find her attacker.
“I have no enemies,” she said. “In time I’m going to forgive her. Then I can move on.”
Cook says he doesn’t know why Storro hurt herself and created such an elaborate lie, but that she is “very remorseful.”
Acid Attack Maims Bethany Storro
There are some really sick and twisted people walking the streets of the world. What would someone be thinking to make them want to throw acid in someone’s face? That’s a lot of anger and hate.
Could you imagine pouring acid into a bottle or container and just arbitrarily walking up to some stranger and pouring acid into their face? Probably not. Those of us who have a conscience would never do that. It’s absolutely the work of a psychopath.
I hope this wasn’t a hate crime or racially motivated. Bethany’s assailant was a black woman. While she did not utter and racial epithets, one has to wonder if she singled out Bethany because she was white. I really hope that wasn’t the case at all.
Bethany Storro was just walking along minding her own business. She was happy as she was celebrating her new job when a stranger threw acid in her face. Instantly she could actually hear her skin burning.
Bethany Storro was celebrating her new job when a stranger approached her and asked, “Hey pretty girl, do you want to drink this?”
The attacker tossed a cup full of acid in Storro’s face. Her skin immediately began to sizzle.
The 28-year-old from Vancouver, Wash. spoke publicly for the first time since the vicious attack earlier this week in her hometown.
“It was the most painful thing ever,” she said from the hospital Thursday. “My heart stopped. It ripped through my clothing the instant it touched my shirt; I could feel it burning through my second layer of skin.”
Just prior to the attack, Storro was on cloud nine over her new job. As a treat, she bought herself a new pair of sunglasses.
The present turned out to be a lifesaver, protecting her from almost certain blindness if the acid had hit her eyes.
Storro described her attacker as a black woman in her late 20s wearing khaki pants and her hair in a ponytail.
“I have never, ever seen this girl in my entire life,” Storro said. “When I first saw her, she had this weirdness about her – like jealousy, rage.”
The surgeon who operated on Storro said the liquid was as strong as hydrochloric or sulfuric acid.
As police look for her attacker, Storro has one just one question: “Why?”
Did my attacker wake up in the morning and say I’m going to “carry some acid in a cup and throw it on the first person I see?” Storro asked.
Despite the severe damage to her face, Storro, who lost most of her hearing after two bouts of spinal meningitis as a child, was happy she could still see.
“I’m just so glad it’s a miracle.”
Bethany Storro Speaks Out, Recounts Agonizing Pain of Vancouver Acid Attack (CBS/KOIN/AP) Bethany Storro, the victim of an acid attack on Monday in Vancouver, Ore., spoke out for the first time since her face was burned by an …
Already very accustomed to adversity, she now has acid thrown in her face Police are seeking a black woman with a ponytail in the Monday attack. Her head wrapped in white bandages, she said she was excited about a new job and a …
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