York Regional Police are seeking three men after two people were assaulted and anti-homosexual slurs were uttered in a possible hate-motivated incident in Vaughan.
On Saturday, May 6 at 8:30 p.m., a man and woman were accosted by several males outside a liquor store in the area of Jane Street and Major Mackenzie Drive West. One of the suspects commented on the male victim’s choice of alcohol and uttered anti-homosexual derogatory slurs as he approached the victim, police said in a news release.
The female victim stepped between them and was assaulted, police said.
Two more suspects got involved and both victims were assaulted, with the male victim being knocked to the ground. A bystander intervened and the suspects fled in a black Nissan Rogue vehicle with Ontario licence plate CLHL733.
The 27-year-old female victim required hospital treatment for her injuries, police said. The 26-year-old male victim suffered minor injuries and did not require medical attention. Officers obtained photos of one of the suspects, as follows:
SUSPECT #1:
- Male, white, 25 to 35, slim build, short buzz-cut hair, with a tattoo on his jawline and tattoos on both hands.
- Wearing a black Adidas jacket with white stripes on the arms, blue jeans, and black and white sneakers with orange on the heels.
SUSPECT #2:
- Male, with a light-brown complexion, black hair, full black beard, wearing a red Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal soccer jersey.
The third suspect is only described as male.
It is believed there was a crowd of people nearby at the time of this incident. Any witnesses who have not yet spoken to investigators are asked to come forward. Anyone who has information about the identity and/or whereabouts of the suspects are urged to contact police as soon as possible.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the York Regional Police #4 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7441 or by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or going online.
