York Regional Police said they’re looking for a suspect after several acts of suspected hate-motivated vandalism were reported in a neighbourhood north of Toronto that is home to a large Jewish community.
Police said Tuesday they’re investigating seven instances of graffiti involving businesses and a synagogue that were spray-painted with anti-Semitic messages in Thornhill, a neighbourhood that includes parts of Vaughan and Markham.
The mayor of Vaughan condemned the graffiti.
“The recent acts of unacceptable vandalism targeting the Jewish community in Vaughan, Markham and Toronto need to be denounced in the strongest possible terms,” Mayor Steven Del Duca said in a statement.
“Our Jewish neighbours deserve to live their lives without fear and to be and feel safe at all times.”
Police said officers learned that between midnight and 1 a.m. on Monday, a suspect spray-painted the properties while wearing a Halloween-style mask.
They said investigators from their hate crime unit suspect the vandalism is hate motivated.
Police said 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% from last year.