Charges laid in hate-motivated graffiti found near York University

(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh)

A 35-year-old man has been charged in connection to numerous incidents of hate-motivated graffiti near York University’s campus.

The incidents occurred between April and June and contained “writing targeting race and religious communities” using spray paint, police said.

Few other details about the graffiti or the people they were targeting were provided by the police.

On Tuesday, police said that a suspect identified as Toronto resident Trevor York was charged with seven counts of mischief-damage property under $5,000 (hate motivated) and breaking and entering to commit a crime (hate motivated) in connection with the investigation.

The charges have been not been proven in court.

Police say the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is being asked to contact officers or reach out to Crime Stoppers anonymously.

In early June, Jewish students told CP24 that they were concerned to find hateful messages spray painted on a garage near campus. The graffiti contained an anti-Semitic caricature and encouraged people to “shoot a Jew in the head.”

It is not clear if this incident was among those that prompted the arrest.