York Regional Police is seeking a suspect wearing a Halloween mask following several acts of antisemitic vandalism in Vaughan and Markham.
Police were notified of seven incidents involving businesses and a synagogue that were spray painted with anti-Semitic messages in Thornhill in the area of Yonge Street and Centre Street, as well as Clark Avenue, on Monday.
Officers learned that between midnight and 1 a.m. on July 29, a lone suspect walked up to several properties and used red spray paint to scrawl the messages.
The suspect is described as wearing all black and a white Halloween-style mask. A suspect vehicle has been identified as a light-blue sport utility vehicle.
Investigators suspect these incidents are hate motivated, police said in a news release.
The hate crime unit is engaged whenever hate is suspected to be a motivating factor in any incident, police said.
Investigators are appealing to any witnesses who have not yet spoken with police, and to anyone who may have dashcam footage of the area around the time of the incidents, to please come forward.
Information about this incident can be provided by calling the York Regional Police #2 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, extension 7241. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or by visiting their website at www.1800222tips.com.
Police said video can be uploaded through this link: https://yrp.ca.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/graffiti
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