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UPDATE: Surrey acid attack haunts victim, frustrates police

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SURREY — The Surrey RCMP has received close to 100 tips after going public last Friday about a vicious acid attack on a Newton business owner.

"It's been very successful as far as the amount of tips," Cpl. Bert Paquet said Monday. "Investigators are going through them."

Tammy Sinclair and her husband Gordon own Sinclair’s Motorsports, at 13431-71A Ave. in Newton, selling ATVs, quads and dirt bikes. They say it was just a regular morning on Sept. 7, 2013, until a man posing as a customer chucked a glass jar filled with muriatic, or hydrochloric acid, at Tammy’s face as she was standing out in front of the shop.

On Friday police released footage of the heartless attack, caught on the couple’s surveillance camera, as well as pictures of three men, and what police believe was a green Dodge colt or Geo Metro used as a getaway car.

The attacker is white, in his 20s or 30s, is about five feet eight inches tall with very short blond or light brown hair, and was wearing a black ball cap, dark hoodie, checkered shorts, white running shoes, and was carrying what appeared to be a glass jar or mug.

Posing as a curious customer, he struck up some small talk with Tammy before throwing the acid.

She recoiled Friday during a viewing of the video. Somebody exclaimed “Oh, Jesus,” in horror as what appeared to be smoke rose from her face and neck.

“I couldn’t breathe,” she said.

She’s suffered scaring on her neck, and blistered gums and tongue. “My eye sight’s not that good anymore,” she told the press conference, at Surrey RCMP detachment.

“I don’t even know him,” she said. “That’s the first time I ever met him. We were just talking about ATVs, just like a normal customer does, when they come in.”

Her husband Gordon was elsewhere in the store. “She screamed my name, he ran off,” he said. He could smell the acid. “It was a cowardly act, unprovoked.

“My wife dodged a bullet by turning away just as he was throwing it at her.”

Gordon said the last five months have been hell on the couple, looking over shoulders. Suspicious vehicles have since been “casing” their business and home as well, he told reporters.

“We just want to get on with our life.”

Both said they have no idea who did this. Asked if she or anyone she knows was having problems with anyone prior to the attack, Tammy deferred to Bert Paquet.

“That’s part of our investigation,” the corporal said.

“We have different scenarios. For obvious reasons, we’re not going to disclose any of them at this point.”

Besides the attacker, police are looking for two men they consider to be “persons of interest.”

“Definitely somebody knows this person or the two accomplices,” he said. “It’ll take one phone call.”

The Surrey RCMP have set up a dedicated tip line, at 604-599-7676.

tzytaruk@thenownewspaper.com



About the Author: Tom Zytaruk

I write unvarnished opinion columns and unbiased news reports for the Surrey Now-Leader.
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