Jury Finds Arleta Man Guilty of Disfiguring Laborer in Acid Attack

An Arleta man was found guilty Monday of felony charges for blinding and severely disfiguring another man by tossing acid in his face in an attempt to rob him and steal his car.

Henry Gregory Tristan, 43, faces possible life in prison for the Sept. 5, 1989, attack on Andres Chaidez, 22, of Van Nuys. Chaidez, a laborer who came from Mexico in search of a better life, was left blinded, scarred and unable to work after Tristan threw a cup of sulfuric acid in his face at a Van Nuys intersection.

Jurors found Tristan guilty on one count each of second-degree robbery, aggravated mayhem and assault with a caustic chemical, Deputy Dist. Atty. Maureen O’Brien said.

Trial testimony revealed that Chaidez was in his car near the intersection of Haskell Avenue and Bassett Street when Tristan demanded money. Tristan admitted that he was in the area to buy heroin. Chaidez said he was driving to visit relatives.

When Chaidez refused the demand for money, Tristan threw a coffee cup full of sulfuric acid in his face. Chaidez hit the accelerator and raced wildly down the block before losing control of the car. He rolled out of the car in agony. Witnesses said his screams were audible a block away.

Tristan followed Chaidez in another car. As Chaidez lay on the pavement in pain, Tristan stole between $80 and $100 from his pockets and took his car. O’Brien said Tristan drove to another location and ransacked the car in search of items to steal.

During the trial, Tristan testified that he was at the intersection and saw what happened, but was not involved. Deputy Public Defender Thom Tibor argued that although Tristan’s fingerprint was found on the cup containing the acid, he did not attack Chaidez. Tibor said he did not know how the fingerprint got on the cup.

Sulfuric acid is a colorless, highly corrosive liquid used in the manufacture of paints, dyes, fertilizers and explosives. It was unclear why Tristan had the acid.

He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 17.