York Regional Police say they’re looking for a suspect after several acts of suspected hate-motivated vandalism were reported in a neighbourhood north of Toronto that is home to a large Jewish community.
Police said Tuesday they’re investigating seven instances of graffiti involving businesses and a synagogue that were spray-painted with antisemitic messages in Thornhill, a neighbourhood that includes parts of Vaughan and Markham.
The mayor of Vaughan condemned the graffiti.
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“The recent acts of unacceptable vandalism targeting the Jewish community in Vaughan, Markham and Toronto need to be denounced in the strongest possible terms,” Mayor Steven Del Duca said in a statement.
“Our Jewish neighbours deserve to live their lives without fear, and to be and feel safe at all times.”
Police said officers learned that between 12 a.m. and 1 a.m. on Monday, a suspect spray-painted the properties while wearing a Halloween-style mask.
They said investigators from their hate crime unit suspect the vandalism is hate-motivated.
Police said they’re looking for witnesses and are asking anyone with information to come forward.
In Toronto, hate-motivated crimes have been on the rise, with police previously saying that hate crimes in the city are up nearly 55 per cent from last year.
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