Police are searching for five suspects who violently attacked the owner of a Pizza Pizza in Oshawa after she tried to stop them from stealing cans of pop, a witness who works at the restaurant told CityNews on Thursday.
Ferry Bansal, an employee at the Pizza Pizza at 199 Wentworth Street West where the incident occurred on Wednesday at around 12:30 a.m., described the female suspects as “children” estimating they were around 14 to 15 years old.
The victim, who is Muslim, had her hijab ripped off during the swarming, Bansal said.
The frightened employee said she didn’t hear any racial slurs being hurled during the assault but described the violent removal of her hijab as “totally racist.”
The victim, who Bansal said is in her 40s, was repeatedly punched and stomped and is recovering from her injuries at home.
“We don’t expect this from children,” she added. “It was so scary.”
Durham Regional Police are investigating the incident and trying to determine if the attack was hate-motivated.
“It was reported that a group of individuals, who appear to be young people, had been creating a disturbance at the location,” a Durham police release stated.
“One of the individuals jumped behind the counter and attempted to take an item. That suspect was confronted by the victim and a violent struggle ensued. During that struggle, several other individuals also jumped behind the counter, swarmed and assaulted the victim.”
“As part of our investigative process, all motives, including the potential that this was a hate motivated offence, are being thoroughly examined.”
On Saturday, DRPS shared more details about the potential suspects.
The first suspect is described as a Black female between 12 to 15 years of age. She has a thin build and was last seen wearing long braids, a grey t-shirt, spandex grey pants and black sandals.
The second suspect is described as a Black female between 12 to 15 years of age. Police say she has a light complexion, thin build with black braids tied in a bun and was last seen wearing an orange hoodie, black leggings and black shoes.
The third suspect is also described as a Black female with a light complexion, thin build and black box braids. She is between 11 and 12 years of age and was last seen wearing a grey hoodie, black leggings and black shoes.
Police say the fourth suspect is a white male with a slim build. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie, black pants and white shoes.
The fifth suspect is described as a Black male with a slim build. He was last seen wearing a black face mask, black hoodie, black puffer vest and black and white Nike Dunk shoes.
‘Appalled and disgusted’: National Council of Canadian Muslims
Meanwhile, the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) says it is ‘appalled and disgusted’ by the attack and is calling for more action to be taken to stem growing Islamophobia.
“The facts are clear: Islamophobic attacks have spiked across the country in the past two years, including a recent string of Islamophobic incidents in the Durham region,” the NCCM said in a social media post. “Our elected leaders must take action to address this wave of hate.”
The NCCM held a news conference on Thursday, where the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the organization, Omar Khamissa, urged political leaders to take action.
“The details of what happened doesn’t just make me sad, it makes me angry. How many of these incidents do we have to live through as a community?” he asked.
“It’s time for action, it’s time for the words to become actions now (and for) our elected officials to acknowledge what is happening across our country and formulate a real plan with real solutions.”
The victim’s daughter also took to the podium, describing her mother as “deeply shaken.”
“This incident has left her scarred and extremely on edge,” she said. “Our family is still coming to terms with what has happened.”
Durham Police investigators are encouraging anyone involved in the incident to consult a lawyer and contact the Durham Regional Police Service.