Surrey RCMP have released surveillance footage of an acid attack on a local business owner last fall in the hope that someone will recognize the suspect and identify him to investigators.

Last Sept. 7, a man struck up a conversation with Tammy Sinclair outside Sinclair Motorsports, which Sinclair owns with her husband, Gordon.

On the surveillance video, the suspect is seen chatting with Sinclair for a few moments before he suddenly throws a jar of muriatic acid on her face. The industrial-strength acid is most commonly used in construction.

“We were just talking about ATVs just like a normal customer,” Sinclair said during a news conference on Friday. “How much is this? How much is that one?”

Gordon was also working that day, and says he could smell the chemical, which could have blinded her.

“My wife dodged a bullet by turning away while he was throwing it at her,” he said.

Sinclair says her gums and tongue developed severe blisters after the attack. She has been left with scars on her neck and forehead, “and my eyesight’s not as good anymore,” she says.

The surveillance video shows the suspect running away after the attack, while Sinclair covers her face with her hands and walks out of the shot.

Police said they believe Sinclair was targeted, but would not reveal if they have determined a motive for the attack. Sinclair said the day of the attack was the first time she’d ever seen her attacker.

By releasing the surveillance footage, investigators hope to identify the suspect and two male accomplices.

“We still have a lot of names on the file,” Cpl. Bert Paquet said Friday. “We believe this is the last piece of the puzzle to bring all the parts of this case together.”

Since the attack, the Sinclairs say there have been other suspicious incidents around their business, which they have operated since 2001, and their home.

“We still have suspicious vehicles casing our business, our residence,” Gordon Sinclair said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 604-599-7676 quoting file number 2013-118333, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Lisa Rossington