Toronto police have opened a hate crime investigation after a suspect spray painted antisemitic graffiti near a sculpture outside the Art Gallery of Ontario, the latest such incident to occur in the city in recent months.
The vandalism took place Wednesday night, CTV News reported.
According to police, witnesses saw a man in his mid-50s with white spray paint near the bronze sculpture, which is known as “Couch Monster” and is in the shape of an elephant using pieces of sofas, armchairs and other furniture.
An investigation was launched and the Hate Crime Unit was called in after it was determined that the incident was hate-motivated, police said.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) praised Toronto police for quickly launching a hate crime investigation.
“CIJA is thankful to Toronto Police for their swift investigation into this shameful act of vandalism in Toronto,” they said on Twitter.
“This incident of antisemitic graffiti follows three others that occurred last month in separate locations in North York,” CIJA noted.
Toronto police are still searching for two suspects wanted for antisemitic graffiti scrawled in the North York district of the city last month, CityNews reported on Friday.
Authorities were first notified of a mischief incident on June 9 in the Willowdale neighborhood, the report said.
The two men allegedly committed antisemitic vandalism and graffiti in three separate locations in the area.