Original Blog Entry: Teen charged with trying to burn out classmate's eyes out with acid

truesee — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:02:17 GMT

Brooklyn high school acid attack: Zhanna Smsaria charged with trying to burn classmate's 'eyes out'

Oren Yaniv, Kerry Burke AND Larry Mcshane

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Originally Published:Thursday, March 10th 2011, 2:38 PM

Updated: Friday, March 11th 2011, 2:29 AM

Ward for NewsZhanna Smsarian, 16, leaves Brooklyn Criminal Court after her arraignment for allegedly throwing acid on her classmate during chemistry class.

Victim Eshimbaeva Albina told the News, 'I knew something bad was coming.'

A simmering feud between two Brooklyn high schoolers exploded when one of the girls tried to blind her helpless frenemy with acid, authorities said Thursday.

Zhanna Smsarian, 16, admitted she wanted to burn the eyes out of honor student Albina Eshimbaeva when she slipped up from behind with a bottle of acid in their Wednesday morning chemistry class, cops said.

Albina, 15, told the Daily News Thursday night that she had a feeling Smsarian was gunning for her the day of the attack in Fort Hamilton High School.

Smsarian was standing against a wall staring at me in an evil way, Albina said. She was smiling, but it was evil.

I knew something bad was coming, but didn't know what it was. Two seconds later, I felt the liquid falling down my bangs.

Smsarian was in her ROTC uniform and wearing a pair of goggles as she swore in Russian and splashed the acid.

My whole face was burning, recalled Albina, an immigrant from Kyrgyzstan. I thought I was blind. I couldn't see anything.

Doctors who treated Albina said the teen only avoided losing her sight because the diluted solution was just 10% acid, sources said.

The two girls were once close, with the victim even attending Smsarian's Sweet 16 party.

Albina, who also participates in the school's ROTC program, said she broke off their friendship after tiring of Smsarian's lies and rumor-mongering.

The victim's mother, Syrga Eshimbaeva, said the older girl resented her daughter's success in the school's gifted and talented students program.

It's all over nothing, said the 42-year-old mom of three girls. Just for being jealous of my daughter.

A sobbing Smsarian - still in the military outfit she wore to school Wednesday - was freed yesterday on $7,500 bail and left the Brooklyn courthouse in her father's waiting SUV. A judge issued an order of protection blocking Smsarian from contacting Albina.

She's never been in any problems before, defense lawyer Igor Vaysberg told the judge. She's an honor roll student with excellent grades.

Classmates said the teens also had a feud over a 22-year-old graduate of their high school, but police sources said there was much more to it than that.

They have had a beef with each other for awhile, one source indicated. It boiled over [Wednesday]. This dispute has nothing to do with a guy. It's a lot more complicated than that.

The Eshimbaevas also denied there was any man involved.

Still, a young man who said he came between the girls told The News that he had complained to Smsarian that Albina had become too clingy.

Zhanna said she was going to take care of it, said the man, who gave his name only as Mohammed. I told her to do what she had to do, but I didn't expect her to throw acid.

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