Man douses his neighbors in acid after an argument, California police say

A 53-year-old man poured acid on the faces and necks of two of his neighbors earlier this month after an argument, according to police in Ukiah, California.

James Lee of Ukiah faces charges including using caustic chemicals on another and assault causing great bodily injury, police wrote on Facebook.

Officers responding to reports of a neighborhood dispute at 10:18 p.m. Oct. 5 discovered Lee had doused two neighbors with a gallon bottle of muriatic acid after an argument, police say.

Ukiah Valley Fire Authority and medical personnel also responded, police say. Firefighters conducted a hazmat cleanup on a sidewalk and concrete where the acid had spilled.

One of the injured neighbors was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, then flown by helicopter to another hospital for extensive injuries, the Facebook post says.

A Mendocino County judge set Lee’s bail at $125,000, police say.

Muriatic acid is a type of hydrochloric acid frequently used for home improvement projects and, when properly diluted, to clean swimming pools, BobVila.com reports.

This story was originally published October 15, 2020 at 10:21 AM with the headline "Man douses his neighbors in acid after an argument, California police say."