A man from Toronto is facing charges following an incident at a hotel in Markham where a hotel employee was violently assaulted in what is suspected to be a hate-motivated attack.
According to York police, the incident took place at a hotel in the area of Highway 7 East and Commerce Valley Drive West in the early hours of September 28. The altercation began when an intoxicated guest, whose credit card was declined while attempting to pay for his room, reportedly became aggressive towards the employee.
The situation escalated when the guest, upon learning that the employee was Muslim, allegedly made threatening remarks and proceeded to chase the employee into a room where the assault took place.
Police responded to the scene and found the 54-year-old victim, who had sustained serious head injuries, and was subsequently hospitalized. The suspect, identified as Geethansan Sriranjan, 31, was apprehended nearby and is now facing charges of assault causing bodily harm and uttering threats.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing as authorities work to determine the full extent of what transpired.