A 47-year-old woman is facing charges for allegedly threatening and assaulting Muslims on multiple occasions in Oshawa.
Police in Durham Region say the first incident happened on Sunday afternoon inside Oshawa Centre, located on King Street West and Stevenson Road South.
They say the woman approached a man and a woman wearing a hijab and hurled threats at them related to their attire.
A nearby witness approached the suspect and questioned her about her actions. The suspect allegedly responded by kicking the bystander and a second person, both of whom are Muslim, for trying to intervene.
The next day, police say the suspect approached a Muslim woman at Lakeview Park on Valley Drive and pushed her to the ground before fleeing the area.
Police believe the suspect targeted the victims for being Muslim on each occasion.
A suspect identified as Georgina Cassidy has been charged with five counts of assault, one count of threatening death and one count of threatening bodily harm.
Investigators with Durham Regional Police say they are in contact with the Ministry of the Attorney General about possibly laying hate crime charges.
