Swansea victim says man in Superman shirt threw bleach into both of her eyes

The overnight supervisor of the Parents and Friends of the Specialized Living Center said she was startled to be accosted by a man who threw bleach into both of her eyes and scratched her chest early Wednesday.

“It all happened so fast,” said Terri Calvin, who has worked at the center for about seven months and is the overnight supervisor.

Calvin said she was leaving a restroom near the main entrance when she saw the man who threw a cup of bleach at her.

She said she had heard a noise before she left the restroom but she didn’t think it was anything important, perhaps some nurses coming into the building.

“I have no idea who it is,” she said of the suspect.

Calvin said she doesn’t know yet if the bleach will cause permanent damage, but she has an appointment to see an eye specialist in three days. She was given drops for her eyes and an ointment for her skin below her eyes.

She described the injury as a chemical burn. The man scratched her when he tried to grab her shirt, she said.

The Swansea Police Department released information about the assault in a Facebook posting.

Police officers received the call for help at 4:22 a.m. and responded to the center at 1450 Caseyville Ave.

The suspect was described as a white male wearing a trench coat, a Superman shirt and black pants.

Police Chief Steve Johnson said the village activated the CodeRED calling system for residents near the center because officers didn’t know if this was a random assault or if the victim was targeted.

Johnson said police do not know who the suspect is, and a motive is not known.

The Specialized Living Center is a residential facility for adults with developmental disabilities.

Krystal Gruenenfelder, administrator of the center, said her organization is fully cooperating with the police in this “isolated incident.”

Gruenenfelder released a statement saying, “The residents were secure at all times and were protected from harm. This incident occurred in an area away from the residents. There is nothing to suggest or give us reason to suspect that an incident like this would occur.”

This was the first time in the 30-plus years of the center’s existence that something like this has happened, she said.

“We express our concern for the well-being of our employee who was involved,” she said.

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call the Swansea Police Department at 618-233-8114.

This story was originally published March 23, 2016 at 10:59 AM with the headline "Swansea victim says man in Superman shirt threw bleach into both of her eyes."