Metro exclusive Trending Now

on NYPost.com

Straphanger who had face destroyed in 121,873

random acid attack slams city’s soft on

crime policies, says she can’t leave her
home: ‘Why me’
By Georgia Worrell
Published Feb. 25, 2024, 9:06 a.m. ET Homeless man busted excavating for
gold in park returns to build cabin
with fireplace, washing machine
NYC woman’s face burned after suspect throws unknown liquid at her in
unprovoked subway attack
77,393

Travis Kelce parties at Vegas club with

Patrick Mahomes after whirlwind
Sydney trip to see Taylor Swift

59,778

She is the scarred face of spiraling subway crime.

Sixteen procedures and more than a year after a deranged stranger threw sulfuric acid in her face in a
Lose belly fat fast, feel better in days
Brooklyn train station, Juanita Jimenez is still trying to heal, inside and out. — just stop eating this one type of
food
The random act of transit violence forever changed her life — and now, with subway crime up nearly 20%
so far this year, she’s speaking out about how more cops and mental health resources are needed to 59,234
restore safety and sanity to the rails.

Here's what the mysterious high-

ltitude balloon that flew over US
Friday really was

Columnists
Lydia Moynihan

Saudi Arabia flexes wealth with 'Davos

on South Beach': $10 trillion gathering
of billionaires and celebs

6 Rikki Schlott

100+ Yale professors sign up to

Juanita Jimenez has received 16 surgeries since the unprovoked Dec. 2, 2022 transit attack. protect free speech — and save
Michael Nagle for NY Post school from being a hot mess

“I always thought something like this can’t happen to me – I’m such a nice person, it couldn’t be me…[but] See All Columnists
it really could just be anybody. We didn’t get into an argument, didn’t know her, didn’t have anything I I

with her and it still occurred,” said Jimenez, 22.

Her horror unfolded Dec. 2, 2022 at the Winthrop Street 2/5 station, as Jimenez was getting off the
Page Six Style
southbound 2 train on her way to her job as a personal care assistant at Kings County Hospital. The best-dressed
celebs at the SAG
Awards 2024: Brie
Larson, Lily
Explore More Gladstone, more
Ciara stuns in latex
gown at 2024 SAG
Awards red carpet:
‘Let’s cinch the waist’

Anne Hathaway pays

homage to ‘The Devil
Wears Prada’ in
‘Spit show’: Attacks on Video shows nonbinary Black-market NYC plastic cerulean gown for
NYC EMS workers are student Nex Benedict surgeon hit with prison 2024 SAG Awards
through the roof explaining bathroom time for fatal butt lift
brawl to cop: ‘All three of
them came at me’
Now on
An unhinged woman, later identified as Rodlin Gravesande suddenly and without saying a word, ,

splashed sulfuric acid in her face, according to cops.

“Icould tell people to stay safe, but even when you’re minding your business and trying to stay safe,
something like this could still happen, which is why mental health is so important for everybody,” Jimenez
said. “Most of the time, our abusers and assaulters are people that have mental health and disabilities.”

Jimenez saw Gravesande, 34, of Brooklyn cursing and flailing her arms on the subway and shot video of
the crazed stranger before the attack.

just had a gut feeling that something was weird,” she said. “But didn’t think something would happen to
Travis Kelce downs champagne while
“I I
surrounded by women at Vegas club
me.” after leaving Taylor Swift in Australia

The best-dressed celebs at the SAG

Awards 2024: Brie Larson, Lily
Gladstone, more

‘Drunk’ Pedro Pascal gives emotional

speech after win at SAG Awards 2024:
‘I’m going to have a panic attack’

See All

Video
Firefighters rescue 3 people dangling
from window of burning NYC building
with only a rope, wild video shows

6 6

When the sulfuric acid hit her, “I felt the pain immediately LA-based plastic surgeon Dr. Carl Truesdale vowed to
– it felt like my face was on fire,” Jimenez recalled. perform the rest of Jimenez’s facial surgeries for free.

“I felt the pain immediately – it felt like my face was on fire,” she recalled. “I thought it was poison.

“Iwas panicking and just crying because didn’t understand why me. It was just a rollercoaster of I

emotions at that time,” said Jimenez, who spent a week in the Burn Unit at Jacobi Medical Center in The
Bronx.

The Harlem native suffered third-degree burns to the entire left side of her face, and parts of her left nostril
and lips were destroyed.

“Ican’t work, I can’t really leave my home … Everywhere go people are I like, ‘Oh my god, what
happened?’ Because my story is on my face,” said Jimenez.

Gravesande — who sources said was previously busted in 2014 in Brownsville for a domestic assault
against her child’s father — was arrested about a month after the attack in Atlanta, Ga., and has been
held behind bars on Rikers Island on $250,000 bail ever since. She pleaded not guilty.

“Ithink a minimum of 10 years is what she’s facing . But in 10 years, I’ll still be doing surgery, . . I’ll still be
having experiences from PTSD and she’ll be free, which doesn’t feel right,” Jimenez said.

The former healthcare worker had to quit her job as a personal care assistant at Kings County Hospital, a
position which she said “would’ve really triggered” her PTSD from the incident.
Courtesy of Juanita Jimenez

“Ifthere’s literal evidence of a person committing a crime that’s heinous, don’t feel like they should be out I

of jail — they’ll just get out and do it again, just like what’s going on right now,” she added, ripping
politicians who enable criminals and soft-on-crime bail reform laws which perpetuate the cycle of violence.

“They know that [the subway] is dangerous, and that’s what we need police for, to keep us safe.”

And more cops in every train station during the time when crime was prevalent is also critical, she
continued.

Jimenez had to quit her job as a personal care assistant at Kings County Hospital – which she said
“would’ve really triggered” her PTSD from the incident – and has amassed more than $60,000 in medical
debt from the 16 procedures to repair the damage to her face.

Rodlin Gravesande was arrested about a month after the attack in Atlanta, Ga., and has been held
behind bars on Rikers Island on $250,000 bail ever since.
DCPI

But she remains undaunted.

She has continued her pursuit of a college degree, started a tattooing business, and connected with other
burn and assault victims through TikTok, posts videos chronicling her journey to recovery for her nearly
15,000 followers.

“Finally getting my confidence back after surviving an acid attack,” she captioned a Feb. 7 video, which
shows a series of pictures and videos of her face since the frightening incident.

Another Feb. 6 video shows Jimenez, with her face wrapped in medical gauze, saying “skrrrt” — a slang
terms which means to get away from something — as a hospital employee pushes her in a wheelchair.
She captioned the clip: “When you take nothing serious.”

She found her saving grace through TikTok : Los Angeles-based plastic surgeon Dr. Carl Truesdale, whom
she contacted in November after watching his videos about facial reconstruction on the platform.

During their consultation appointment, Truesdale – who has a foundation that performs reconstruction
surgeries for free – offered to perform the rest of her facial procedures for free.

“Iwant to show to whoever has been through trauma, that there’s so much more to them than that trauma,” Juanita
Jimenez told The Post.
Michael Nagle for NY Post

Under his knife for the first time on Jan. 22, Jimenez received a nose and lip reconstruction, as well as a
skin graft.

“When met [Jimenez], really loved her story…and was really happy
I I I to do this for her,” Truesdale said.

“Iam super thankful for Dr. Truesdale,” said Jimenez, who is healing “really well” following the latest
procedure.

More will follow. “We don’t really know how many more are left, it just depends how they go,” she said.

But Jimenez vowed to stay strong — and inspire other victims along the way.

“Iwant to show to whoever has been through trauma, that there’s so much more to them than that
trauma,” she said.

Additional reporting by Tina Moore.

Filed under assaults brooklyn crime jacobi medical center medical care
new york city plastic surgery subway 2/25/24

Read Next Harlem apartment fire victim ID'd as 27-year-old Indian jo...

Conversation 335 Comments 1.4K Viewing

Share your stance. Please adhere to our guidelines .

Sort by Best
4 People typing
4 People typing

My2Cents
1 hour ago
Sorry this happened to her. She says nothing happened between her and this woman but also
ays that she saw the woman walking around waving her arms etc, so she decided to take out
phone and record her. That is what caused the woman to focus her anger and attention on
victim. when someon... See more
Reply 92 Share
Tears of Sorrow
1 hour ago
When somebody is mental they need to be put away in an institution, but NYC liberals
the mentally ill have a right to live on the streets
See the Billy Boggs case during the Koch era
Reply 82 Share
3 replies

Cape Dweller
1 hour ago
When you’re 22 years old, that’s what you do.
Reply 17 Share
Show 3 more replies

Charles Darwin
1 hour ago
Keep voting for the soft on crime candidates and this is what you wind up with. When the
the police" crowd starts becoming the victims maybe it will change some minds.
Reply 130 Share
Phil E Cheese
26 minutes ago
That's right.
Defund The Police.
Those words traveled across the world.
The entire Earth is aware of who's responsible.
Reply 13 Share
2 replies

George Skatavach
41 minutes ago
Criminals don’t ask if you are a Democrat voter. Democrats are actually voting for their
attack.
Reply 19 Share
1 reply

Show 1 more reply

Retired NYPD
1 hour ago
AT least Juanita understands that even a conviction is not justice.

The time on Rikers will count as time served while the defendant and her attorney hope either
he victim does not live to make it to trial or that the surgeries improve her looks so not to
the jury.
Reply 12 Share
Anton Leonard
23 minutes ago
Yep. We had 20 wonderful years of Giuliani/Bloomberg… all reversed by Deblazio and

Reply 10 Share
1 reply

Show More Comments

Powered by Terms Privacy Feedback

31 People Reacted

What's your reaction to this

article?

Top Notch So-so Next!

132 1 10

More Stories
Page Six NYPost

Tom Brady has 'accepted' Gisele Bündchen's Homeless man busted excavating for gold in park
romance with jiu-jitsu instructor began 'years ago': returns to build cabin with fireplace, washing
report machine

Sections & Features Post Sports+ Newsletters & Feeds Help/Support Apps
US News Metro Subscribe Email Newsletters About New York Post iPhone App
World News Sports Articles RSS Feeds Customer Service iPad App
Sports Betting Business Manage NY Post Official Store Apps Help Android Phone
Opinion Entertainment Community Guidelines Android Tablet
Home Delivery
Fashion & Beauty Shopping
Contact Us Advertise
Lifestyle Real Estate Subscribe
Media Tech Manage Subscription Tips Media Kit
Health Travel Newsroom Contact
Astrology Video Delivery Help Letters to the Editor
Photos Visual Stories Licensing & Reprints
Alexa Covers Careers
Horoscopes Sports Odds Vulnerability Disclosure Program
Podcasts Crosswords & Games
Columnists Classifieds

© 2024 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved Terms of Use Membership Terms Privacy Notice Sitemap
Your California Privacy Rights