UMVA has learned that a significant breakthrough in the investigation into suspected hate-motivated attacks targeting Toronto's Jewish community has led to the arrest of four more individuals.
The arrests were made by the Counter Terrorism Security Unit after a series of incidents on April 30 and May 7, where members of the Jewish community were attacked with Orbeez-style guns that fire gel beads along the Bathurst St. corridor. The four individuals, including two men and a boy from Toronto, as well as a girl from Thornhill, were arrested on May 22.
According to information obtained by UMVA, two more suspects are still wanted, believed to be male and female youths, but investigators have yet to identify them. The incidents are believed to have been deliberate and targeted, with police alleging that members of the Jewish community were specifically targeted.
Chief Supt. Katherine Stephenson revealed at a news conference that the incidents were not random, and the evidence gathered during the investigation supports this claim. The arrests come after 18-year-old Ruslan Novruzov was charged with four counts of assault with a weapon and two counts of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
The initial arrest led to the identification of six other suspects allegedly involved in the assaults, with police suggesting that the incidents appear to have been organized and planned. Stephenson emphasized the profound impact such incidents have on the community, creating fear, anxiety, and uncertainty for countless others.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the suspects were charged with multiple counts of assault with a weapon and possession of a weapon. Luka Chokheli, 20, Alishahin Isayev, 23, a 16-year-old boy, and a 17-year-old girl were each charged with three counts of assault with a weapon and one count of possession of a weapon.
The investigation has also uncovered details about the attacks, including that on April 30, an individual inside a vehicle discharged an imitation firearm at victims in the Bathurst St. and Lawrence Ave. W. area. A week later, on May 7, three members of the Jewish community were standing outside a synagogue when they were shot at with an imitation firearm from a vehicle.
The victims experienced fear and shock, believing they were being shot at, and suffered minor injuries. The suspects fled the area in a blue Lexus SUV in both incidents. Police are urging anyone with information to come forward and contact them at 416-808-3505 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that investigators are aware of a recent arrest by U.S. authorities of an Iraqi national alleged to be a commander of Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, but there is no direct linkage to this case, and no direct threat against the Jewish community at this time.
