(NewsReady.com) – Playground fights are nothing unusual. There are some bumps along the way as kids develop social skills and self-control. Sometimes they get into arguments or physical altercations as they are growing up. A disagreement in Detroit, however, took a dangerous turn.
On July 9, 11-year-old Deaira Summers was at the playground at Vernor Elementary School when two girls reportedly fought. After the fight ended, Deaira and her siblings left the park. The mother of a 12-year-old girl who was in the dispute brought a bottle of acid to the playground so her daughter could retaliate. Deaira realized she left her purse at the park, so she went back. When she did, the girl who her cousin fought doused her in acid.
Deaira told WDIV that she suddenly felt a burning sensation on her shirt and shorts. She ran home while “screaming” and “crying.” She was taken to Children’s Hospital, where doctors in the burn unit treated her for second and third-degree burns to her back, legs, and arms. The pre-teen spent four days in the hospital and will need ongoing care. The hospital could not identify the type of acid that the suspect reportedly used in the attack.
Domonique Summers said the incident is “going to scar [Deaira] for life.” She noted that it was “traumatizing,” and her daughter won’t ever forget what happened that day. Debra Golston, the little girl’s grandma, said she was “lucky to be alive” after the attack.
Police arrested the 12-year-old who threw the acid and charged her with felonious assault and assault with intent to do great bodily harm. Kym L. Worthy, Wayne County prosecutor, said the girl was released on a $10,000 bail. She is not allowed to have any contact with the victim or any of the others who witnessed the attack. Worthy called the case involved a “troubling set of allegations,” saying, “There is no excuse for this.”
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