Toronto police lay charges after two separate alleged hate crimes

A Toronto police vehicle is shown parked on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto on Tuesday Jan. 3, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Doug Ives

Toronto police have laid multiple charges after two separate alleged hate crime incidents in the city last month.

Police say the first instance happened on Feb. 15 just before 2 p.m. in the area of Eglinton Avenue West and Gabian Way in the city’s west end.

Investigators say a suspect approached the victim with a garbage bag and hit the victim in the face with it.

The suspect then threated to kill the victim and made anti-east Asian slurs, police say.

Police say 39-year-old Jagraj Gill, of Toronto, was arrested and charged with uttering death threats and assault with a weapon on Mar. 13.

The charges have not been tested in court.

In the second instance, police say a man approached a woman on a subway train at around 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 25.

The woman was standing near an exit door when police say the man started screaming at her and uttered anti-Black slurs.

She was able to exit the train and get away from the suspect.

Toronto police say Joseph Lukacsi, 54, of Toronto was arrested on Mar. 13 and charged with criminal harassment, breach of recognizance, and failing to comply with a probation order. The charges have not been tested in court.

Police say both instances are being treated as suspected hate-motivated offences.