Man charged in connection with six anti-Asian hate crimes in Markham

A man has been charged in connection with six anti-Asian hate crimes in Markham.

According to York Regional Police, investigators with the hate crime unit charged a 33-year-old man, Arjun Choudhari, after committing several hate-motivated incidents.

On March 16, police received a report on an assault that occurred around 2 pm in the area of Pillar Rock Crescent.

Police say the victim was walking outside when the suspect ran up behind her and hit her in the back with an object.

Through the investigation, officers located additional victims and linked five other incidents that occurred between January and March to the same suspect.

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“All of the victims are Asian and investigators believe that the incidents were hate-motivated,” the release said.

The suspect was charged with assault with a weapon, three assault charges, and two criminal harassment charges.

“York Regional Police is aware hate-motivated incidents are often not reported and want to assure our community that we take these incidents seriously and investigate all reports received. We strongly encourage residents to report any incident they believe may be motivated by hate, racism or discrimination,” the release said.

Anyone with information can contact the York Regional Police #5 District Criminal Investigation Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7541, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or leave an anonymous tip online at www.1800222tips.com.