A 38-year-old man is in custody after another person was threatened aboard a TTC bus.
Toronto police say around 6:15 p.m. on November 3, a man boarded a TTC bus in the area of Eglinton Avenue West and Allan Road. It’s alleged that when he was asked by another rider to turn down the music he was listening to, the man made anti-immigrant remarks and threatened to assault the rider if he didn’t stop talking.
The commuter alerted the bus driver, prompting the man to exit the bus and flee the scene.
Following an investigation, police arrested Marco Valerio Giogrio of Toronto and charged him with one count of uttering threats.
Police say the incident is being treated as a suspected hate-motivated offence, which could lead to additional charges.
If an alleged criminal offence was believed to have been motivated by bias, prejudice or hate, and a person is charged and convicted of the offence, the Judge can take into consideration hate as an aggravating factor when imposing a sentence.
