Update: According to court documents, on Sept 26, 2013 the charges were withdrawn by The Crown and a peace bond was signed.
TORONTO – Toronto police say a male suspect allegedly hit and harassed a pregnant woman on the street because she was wearing a hijab.
Police allege a jogger went out of his way to strike the woman in two separate incidents during the last month (on Yonge Street near Eglington Avenue) in the city’s midtown area.
Const. Wendy Drummond says police believe the woman was not known by the suspect and was targeted because of her head scarf.
Drummond says the suspect also made remarks to the woman on five other occasions, but she did not comment on what was allegedly said.
A 43-year-old man was charged with two counts of assault and one count of criminal harassment.
Drummond says the nature of the comments allegedly made by the suspect lead investigators to believe other people may also have been targeted.