The suspect arrested in connection with an alleged racist attack on the Canada Line this week is expected in court on Thursday.
Forty-six-year-old Pierre Belzan, of no fixed address, has no prior convictions but he is well-known to police.
He was arrested on Wednesday and charged with one count of threatening to cause death or bodily harm and one count of assault. Transit Police have also recommended a charge of sexual assault.
This comes after an incident on the Canada Line, a rapid transit line which runs from downtown Vancouver to Richmond and the Vancouver Airport, on Monday.
READ MORE: Man arrested in connection with alleged hate crime against Muslim teen on Canada Line
Noor Fadel, 18, boarded the Canada Line at Waterfront Station and sat a few seats away from a man at about 9:30 p.m. on Monday, she wrote on Facebook.
According to Transit Police, the man allegedly started walking toward her and yelling at her.
Police said the man spoke in Arabic and allegedly made obscene remarks, using “extremely offensive language.”
The man allegedly told Fadel to go back to her country and that he’d kill all Muslims.
He allegedly grabbed Fadel’s head, forced it toward his crotch and then tried to remove her hijab.
That’s when a Good Samaritan, later identified as Jake Taylor, placed himself between Fadel and the suspect and pushed him away.
“I went over and I gave him a shove, told him to get the ‘f’ out of here,” Taylor said.
WATCH: Transit police have made an arrest in a shocking racial attack on the Canada Line against a young Muslim woman. Grace Ke reports:
— With files from Jesse Ferreras, Jon Azpiri and Grace Ke
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