York Regional Police say they're looking for a suspect after several acts of suspected hate-motivated vandalism were reported in a neighborhood north of Toronto that is home to a large Jewish community.
Police say they're investigating seven instances of graffiti involving businesses and a synagogue that were spray painted with anti-Semitic messages in Thornhill, a neighborhood that includes parts of Vaughan and Markham.
They say 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.
Police say investigators from their hate crime unit suspect the vandalism is hate-motivated.
Investigators say 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.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2024.
