Prosecutors say a tip and digital evidence helped identify the suspect nearly five years later.
MINEOLA, NY — A Brooklyn man has been indicted in the 2021 sulfuric acid attack on a Long Island college student, Nassau County prosecutors said, alleging he ambushed the 21-year-old outside her Elmont home and left her with severe burns and lasting injuries.
Terrell Campbell, 29, was arraigned Tuesday on two counts of first-degree assault and additional weapons and noxious-material charges. The arrest came as the case neared a five-year mark, a point prosecutors said raised pressure to identify a suspect while the victim continued to undergo treatment and surgeries tied to her injuries.
District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said investigators made progress in late 2025 after receiving information from community members and working with technology companies. Prosecutors and police say that work helped link Campbell to the scene and to an alleged online trail that included a rap video and internet searches after the attack. Campbell pleaded not guilty and was remanded, authorities said. He is scheduled to return to court Feb. 18.
According to the indictment, the attack happened about 8:30 p.m. March 17, 2021, as Nafiah Ikram and her mother returned to their home in Elmont after Ikram finished a shift at a Baldwin pharmacy. Her mother went inside while Ikram gathered items from the back of their vehicle, prosecutors said. As Ikram walked toward the front door, a person dressed in a hooded sweatshirt, mask and gloves approached with a cup and threw liquid at her, Donnelly said. The liquid was later determined to be 70% sulfuric acid, prosecutors said. Ikram collapsed on the front lawn in severe pain as the attacker fled, Donnelly said.
Ikram was taken to Nassau University Medical Center and treated in intensive care for second- and third-degree burns to her face, arms, wrists, shoulders, right eye and esophagus, prosecutors said. Donnelly said the acid entered Ikram’s throat and splashed into her eye, leaving her with injuries that have required years of medical care. Authorities said Ikram has suffered ongoing pain, infections and multiple surgeries and skin grafts. Prosecutors said she undergoes regular esophageal dilation procedures so she can breathe and eat normally. In television interviews over the years, Ikram has described persistent physical limits and the emotional toll of not knowing who attacked her or why.
Investigators said a key early lead came from video surveillance showing a red Nissan Altima parked outside the home and later fleeing the area, but the images did not show a license plate and officers initially could not identify a registered owner, prosecutors said. In late 2025, authorities said, new information and technology-company cooperation helped investigators focus on Campbell. Prosecutors said Campbell regularly drove a 2015 red Nissan Altima registered under a family member’s name, an assertion they said was supported by traffic violations, tickets and accident records in which he provided his driver’s license. They also cited license plate reader images from the days before and after the attack that they said linked the Altima used at the scene to the one Campbell drove.
Prosecutors also pointed to what they described as a digital trail after the attack. Donnelly said investigators obtained Google searches from an account tied to Campbell that, in the minutes and days after the attack, included phrases such as “sulfuric acid remover,” “sulfuric acid on car seat,” “can you recover from sulfuric acid burn,” and “acid attack Franklin Square Long Island.” Prosecutors said Campbell, who they described as an aspiring rapper using the name “YungBasedPrince,” posted a YouTube music video in 2023 with lyrics referencing a person’s face burning in acid. Donnelly said the video appeared to match details of the crime’s narrative and accused Campbell of using the alleged attack to promote his music.
Police arrested Campbell on Feb. 9, authorities said. He was indicted on two counts of first-degree assault, along with criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree and unlawfully possessing noxious materials, prosecutors said. Donnelly said the first-degree assault counts are violent felonies and that Campbell could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted. Campbell’s lawyer did not make public statements in court filings released by prosecutors, and Campbell said nothing to reporters as he was escorted in and out of court appearances carried by local television coverage.
The case drew broad attention in Nassau County and beyond because of the apparent planning involved and the severity of the injuries. Police and prosecutors have said they are still working to understand a motive, and officials have not publicly identified any relationship between Ikram and Campbell. In interviews after the arrest, Ikram said she had never heard Campbell’s name before and still does not know why she was targeted. Authorities have also suggested the investigation remains open to the possibility of other involvement, including whether the attack was arranged or directed by someone else, though no additional arrests were announced Tuesday.
Donnelly praised detectives for what she called years of investigative work and said the family had lived with unanswered questions since 2021. “The past five years have not been easy on this young woman,” Donnelly said in a statement, adding that the arraignment provided “some answers” after a long recovery. Nassau County police officials have said the victim and her family faced intense public scrutiny as the case stalled, including rumors and false speculation about who might be responsible. Her mother, Sherina Mohammed, has publicly thanked supporters as the family sought updates and pushed for an arrest.
Prosecutors said the investigation included warrants, subpoenas and interviews over the years, and that agencies including the Nassau County Police Department, the New York City Police Department and the FBI assisted. Campbell remains presumed innocent unless convicted. The next court date, Feb. 18, is expected to set the schedule for pretrial motions and additional evidence exchange as prosecutors prepare to present their case.
Author note: Last updated Feb. 11, 2026.