Charges have been laid after a suspected hate-motivated incident at a second mosque in Markham in recent days, however police said the two incidents are not related.
York Regional Police charged a suspect with assault and mischief on Monday after a suspected hate-motivated incident.
Police said they had received a report of an incident at a mosque in the area of Bayview Avenue and Proctor Avenue in Thornhill the previous night.
Witnesses reported that on Sunday at 8:20 p.m., a man blocked the entrance to the mosque with a vehicle, exited the vehicle and yelled derogatory slurs at worshippers.
A crowd formed outside the mosque and the suspect assaulted several people before driving away, police said in a news release.
Mohssen Bayani, 47, of Richmond Hill is charged with three counts of assault and one count of mischief under $5,000.
Bayani was released from custody. His next scheduled appearance is at the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket on May 17.
Police said they believe there are additional victims in the incident who have not yet come forward and they are being urged to contact police.
Police said they do not believe the incident is connected to another occurrence at a mosque on Denison Street in south-end Markham on April 6.
Anyone with information on this most recent incident is asked to call the #2 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-866-876- 5423, ext. 7241, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or leave an anonymous tip online at www.1800222tips.com.
