Toronto Man Charged For Three Alleged Hate Crimes at Subway Stations

May 10, 2021

A 26-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with several hate-motivated assaults on Asian victims at subway stations in Canada.

Anti-Asian hate: Joseph O’Sullivan Martinez was arrested on Wednesday for three anti-Asian assaults that took place at different subway stations around Toronto between April 9 and April 11, Global News reported.

Martinez, who was set to appear in a Toronto court last Friday, “was charged with two counts of causing a disturbance, four counts of assault, 10 counts of failing to comply with probation and five counts of breach of recognizance.”
Investigators said they are treating the incidents as suspected hate crimes following consultation with the service’s Specialized Hate Crime Unit, the Toronto Sun reported.

More details: The assaults involved Martinez reportedly spitting at all of his victims and yelling racial slurs at one woman, Toronto Police Service reported last month.

Police officers were called to Christie Station on April 9 over a report that a man spat on another person on the eastbound platform before fleeing.
The officers responded to an incident at Lansdowne Station on April 11 after a man spat on a woman and yelled racial slurs.
A bystander who tried to intervene was also threatened by the man before he took off via an eastbound train.
Shortly after, authorities received a report stating that a man also spat on a woman at Wellesley Station before escaping.

Authorities are urging anyone with information about the crimes or other similar incidents to get in touch with authorities at (416) 808-1100 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at (416) 222-8477.

Featured Image via Toronto Police

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