FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 18, 2024
Woman Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison
For Unprovoked Acid Attack in Brooklyn Subway Station
Victim Suffered Serious Burns and Permanent Facial Scarring
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced today that a woman has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for a random attack inside a Brooklyn subway station in which she threw sulfuric acid in a stranger’s face, causing serious second- and third-degree burns to the victim as well as significant scarring. The defendant was convicted of assault in May.
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Today’s sentence holds this defendant accountable for a frightening and random attack on an innocent woman. Brooklyn residents deserve to feel safe when taking the subway and those who jeopardize their safety will be held accountable. My heart goes out to the young victim of this attack as she continues to heal from her injuries.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Rodlin Gravesande, 34, formerly of Brownsville, Brooklyn. The defendant was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Joanne Quinones to 12 years in prison. The defendant was convicted of first- and second-degree assault on May 14, 2024, following a jury trial.
The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on December 2, 2022, at approximately 12:45 a.m., the victim, a 21-year-old woman, was riding a southbound 2 train to work at Kings County Hospital when the defendant began to yell and threatened to push passengers on the train. The defendant did this for several minutes before turning her attention to the victim.
Furthermore, according to the evidence, when the train arrived at the Winthrop Street Station, in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, the victim exited the train. The defendant followed the victim off the train and onto the platform. The two exchanged words. The victim continued to walk away. The defendant then punched the victim in the head. When the victim walked toward the stairs, the defendant followed her. The defendant then opened a vial of sulfuric acid and threw it in the victim’s face, before fleeing the station.
The acid burned a hole through the victim’s clothing and caused second- and third-degree burns to the left side of her face.
The victim ran out of the subway station and around the corner to Kings County Hospital. She was transferred to the burn unit at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. Since the attack, the victim has received a nose and lip reconstruction as well as multiple skin grafts.
The defendant fled to Atlanta, Georgia. She was extradited back to Brooklyn in January 2023.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Kathleen Conlon and Assistant District Attorney Bianca Kushner, of the District Attorney’s Green Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Michael Boykin and Lana Schlesinger, Deputy Bureau Chiefs, and under the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Frank DeGaetano, Bureau Chief.
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