Toronto Man Charged For Three Alleged Hate Crimes at Subway Stations

Ryan General
·1 min read

A 26-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with several hate-motivated assaults on Asian victims at subway stations in Canada.

Anti-Asian hate: Joseph O’Sullivan Martinez was arrested on Wednesday for three anti-Asian assaults that took place at different subway stations around Toronto between April 9 and April 11, Global News reported.

  • Martinez, who was set to appear in a Toronto court last Friday, "was charged with two counts of causing a disturbance, four counts of assault, 10 counts of failing to comply with probation and five counts of breach of recognizance."

  • Investigators said they are treating the incidents as suspected hate crimes following consultation with the service’s Specialized Hate Crime Unit, the Toronto Sun reported.


More details: The assaults involved Martinez reportedly spitting at all of his victims and yelling racial slurs at one woman, Toronto Police Service reported last month.

  • Police officers were called to Christie Station on April 9 over a report that a man spat on another person on the eastbound platform before fleeing.

  • The officers responded to an incident at Lansdowne Station on April 11 after a man spat on a woman and yelled racial slurs.

  • A bystander who tried to intervene was also threatened by the man before he took off via an eastbound train.

  • Shortly after, authorities received a report stating that a man also spat on a woman at Wellesley Station before escaping.


Authorities are urging anyone with information about the crimes or other similar incidents to get in touch with authorities at (416) 808-1100 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at (416) 222-8477.

Featured Image via Toronto Police

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