Man, 47, charged in connection with suspected hate-motivated incident at Markham mosque

A 47-year-old man from Richmond Hill has been charged in connection with a suspected hate-motivated incident at a mosque in Markham, police say.

York Regional Police said officers received a report of an incident at a mosque in the Bayview Avenue and Proctor Avenue area on April 9.

Police said at around 8:20 p.m., a male suspect allegedly blocked the entrance to the mosque, exited his vehicle and yelled derogatory slurs at worshippers.

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“A crowd formed outside the mosque and the suspect assaulted several people before driving away,” officers alleged in a news release.

Officers said 47-year-old Mohssen Bayani from Richmond Hill was arrested on Monday.

Police said Mohssen has been charged with three counts of assault and one count of mischief under $5,000.

According to police, Bayani was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court in Newmarket on May 17.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.