Vancouver police say they’ve arrested a man after he allegedly smashed a window of a vehicle parked in Chinatown on the weekend with two Asian women inside.
The women were confronted by the suspect after they parked near East Pender and Columbia streets.
He yelled obscenities at them and smashed a window with a chisel he had in his bag, police said.
Officers located and arrested the suspect with the help of a witness.
The man was transported to jail and released on an undertaking to appear in court at a later date.
“This was a random, unprovoked incident and would have been very terrifying for the victims,” said Sgt. Aaron Roed.
Vancouver police say a hate crime investigator and the Major Crime Section were immediately advised of the incident.
Vancouver police have raised concerns over a string of incidents of anti-Asian racism in the region linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.