A man from Markham has been arrested and charged with assaulting a gas station attendant in an incident that York Regional Police are investigating as a possible hate-motivated crime.
The police were alerted to the alleged assault at a gas station located at Kennedy Road and 14th Avenue on Sunday, August 17. According to reports, the suspect entered the store and began making derogatory remarks about the victim’s turban. The situation escalated as the suspect gestured offensively, threw money at the attendant, spat on them, and even made threatening motions towards them.
After an investigation, Farhad Marounisi, 33, was taken into custody on Wednesday, August 27, and charged with assault related to the incident.
York Regional Police are looking into the case as a potential hate crime, with the investigation still ongoing.