On March 17, 2021, the hooded attacker ran up behind Hofstra student Nafiah Ikram in her own driveway in Elmont and threw acid in her face and then drove away.
She was 21 years old at the time.
Ikram suffered severe injuries in the attack and she still struggles with poor vision and scarring on her face. She has also suffered emotional trauma since the attack.
On Tuesday, 29-year-old Terrell Campbell was charged with assault, criminal possession of a weapon and unlawfully possessing noxious material.
He pleaded not guilty during his initial arraignment on Tuesday and was held without bail.
Campbell, a flower delivery worker and aspiring rapper, lives in Brooklyn with his mother.
Prosecutors say he was finally identified with the help of a tipster - and ultimately linked to a red Nissan Altima near the scene.
"We reviewed Campbell's Internet search history in the minutes minutes following the 2021 attack, we found searches asking, 'how do I remove sulfuric acid from my car's fabric?'" said District Attorney Anne Donnelly. "And two years after he ambushed Nafiah and left her screaming in pain on her front lawn, he actually produced and uploaded a music video to YouTube, boasting about throwing acid in a woman's face, as unbelievable as it may seem."
As for Ikram, she was in the courtroom on Tuesday and has been left with years of unanswered questions.
"I'm glad in the sense that even though this is the beginning of a different chapter in my life, I'm glad that I've closed the chapter on the uncertainty and the safety and looking over my shoulder," she said.
Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder would not discuss the tip that identified the suspect but said someone will get the $50,000 reward.
Donnelly declined to comment on a motive, but said it is "still being investigated."
"At the end of it, something still doesn't make sense," Ikram said.
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