Suspect sought in hate-motivated assault at Finch West subway station

Toronto police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect in a hate-motivated assault.

Police say two people exited a TTC bus at Finch West subway station just after 5:30 p.m. on August 13 when the suspect allegedly hit the victim in the face with an object, causing them to bleed.

Investigators say the suspect directed death threats and used anti-South Asian slurs towards the victim during the assault.

Police say the suspect and the victim were not known to each other.

The suspect is described as five-foot-seven to five-foot-nine with long black hair. They were last seen wearing black tights, a black zip-up jacket and black shoes and carrying a dark-coloured satchel.

Police say the incident is being treated as a suspected hate-motivated offence which means if the person is charged and convicted of the offence, the judge will take into consideration hate as an aggravating factor when imposing a sentence.