A 39-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a hate crime investigation into the repeated vandalism of a Ukrainian bakery in Etobicoke over the past month.
The first incident happened between the evening of Feb. 7 and the afternoon of Feb. 8. Police said a man attended Future Bakery in the area of North Queen Street and The East Mall and allegedly spray-painted anti-Ukrainian slogans on its mural, causing about $25,000 worth of damage. The bakery's "StandWithUkraine" banner that was put up to show support for the country was also defaced with derogatory comments.
More than three weeks later, on the evening of Feb. 26, the same man went to the bakery and allegedly tore off portions of the banner. Police said the man came back again two days later on Feb. 28 and allegedly splashed black paint on the sign.
The fourth incident happened last Friday evening when a man walked into the bakery's parking lot and allegedly threw jars at its wall.
Two days later, on Sunday evening, someone attended the bakery with a hockey stick that appeared to have a blade attached and allegedly cut the banner in several sections.
The latest incident happened on Wednesday just before 12:30 a.m. Police said the same man went back to the bakery and had a long pole with a knife attached to the end. It is unclear if the man used the pole, but police said he returned to his car shortly after appearing.
On Wednesday afternoon, police announced that a suspect identified as Toronto resident Andrey Malyshev was arrested and charged with two counts of possessing a weapon for committing an offence, mischief to property over $5,000 and four counts of mischief to property under $5,000.
"After consultation with the specialized Hate Crime Unit, these incidents are being treated as hate-motivated," police said.
"If it is alleged a criminal offence was committed (such as assault or mischief) and it is believed to have been motivated by bias, prejudice or hate, the officer-in-charge will consult with the Crown. If a person is charged and convicted of the offence, the judge will take into consideration hate as an aggravating factor when imposing a sentence."
The incidents happened in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is now ongoing for two weeks. On Wednesday, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian airstrikes hit three hospitals, including a maternity hospital.
According to United Nations officials, more than two million people have fled Ukraine since the invasion began, nearly half of them children.
Toronto police continue to ask anyone with information about the incidents to contact 416-808-2200 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).
- With files from The Associated Press
