York Regional Police say four people who identify as Jewish were walking home from a synagogue when they were allegedly assaulted by a man who was later arrested by officers.
Police said last Saturday at around 1:45 p.m., the victims reported they were in the Bathurst Street and Flamingo Road area, just south of Highway 7, when they were approached by a man on an electric bicycle.
“The victims felt intimidated by the manner in which the suspect operated the bike in their presence,” police said,
Investigators said there was an argument and the man on the bike allegedly spat on the victims and made anti-Semitic comments before he rode away. Police have deemed the assault hate-motivated.
A few hours later, police said they found the man and arrested him that same day.
A 34-year-old man from Vaughan is facing two counts of assault and one count of breaching probation.
“York Regional Police takes these matters seriously and is reminding the community we will not tolerate any form of hate crime or the threat of violence against anyone,” police said.