BARRIE, ONT. -- Police have charged a man accused of a suspected hate crime in Aurora after a new rainbow crosswalk was defaced last month.
York Regional Police say a pickup truck drove over the newly unveiled rainbow crosswalk on Aug. 20 just before midnight leaving tire skid marks in its wake. They allege the truck returned a short time later and left more markings.
A 44-year-old Newmarket man faces two counts of mischief.
This wasn't the only time the area was a target for vandals. A little over 24 hours after the truck incident, someone sprayed black paint on the Pride crosswalk. Police charged a 57-year-old Aurora man with mischief.
A rainbow crosswalk is a way for municipalities to show support for the LGBTQ community.