Marquis Johnson, 34, has been charged with first-degree assault for allegedly throwing sulfuric acid on a 30-year-old restaurant worker in Honolulu's Chinatown on August 8. The attack happened around 11:40 p.m. while the victim was walking on North Hotel Street near Smith Street and Nuuanu Avenue. The victim did not know Johnson, as reported by Star-Advertiser.
Honolulu Emergency Medical Services treated a man for severe burns and took him to a hospital in critical condition; his condition later improved to serious, police said. This is the third acid attack in Honolulu in three years. In a January 23, 2024 case, a Mandarin teacher was initially suspected of being targeted because of her ethnicity, but police found evidence it was part of a "murder-for-hire plot" allegedly planned by Paul Cameron to divert attention from a 2023 acid attack on a female acquaintance at a Mililani fitness center, according to Hoodline.
Cameron, while in custody at the Oahu Community Correctional Center, allegedly hired fellow inmate Sebastian Mahkwan to throw acid on a person outside Ala Moana Planet Fitness after Mahkwan was released, prosecutors said. The attack has raised safety concerns in Chinatown. Business owners and community leaders have called for more patrols and upgraded surveillance, and the city has installed new cameras and signage. Harry Seda, owner of Old Ironside Tattoo, said, "The acid thing is something to worry about," as mentioned by Hoodline. Johnson, identified as the suspect, had previously been a victim of violent crimes and was involved in a police brutality lawsuit. HPD charged Johnson with first-degree assault, which could be upgraded to attempted murder, while detectives continue to investigate the motive and whether the attack is connected to previous acid attacks. This incident was the third acid attack in Honolulu in three years, as per Yahoo.
