Man accused of hate-motivated assaults

A 28-year-old man faces numerous charges for a series of allegedly hate-motivated assaults, including an attack at a downtown mosque.

Toronto Police say officers responded to an assault with a weapon at the Toronto Islamic Centre on Yonge Street, south of Davenport Road, around 6:40 a.m. on Saturday.

A man allegedly approached the mosque and “became confrontational” toward several people who were standing outside, police said in a statement released Saturday evening.

“The (man) threw a rock at the victims and yelled derogatory slurs,” she alleged. “He then brandished a bike chain and became extremely aggressive towards the victims.”

Police say one person suffered minor injuries.

Investigators subsequently linked the mosque attack to two other assaults that allegedly occurred hours apart Wednesday morning.