Ottawa Police are continuing the search for two men in connection to a weekend swarming that appeared to be racially motivated.
Police say a man was waiting for a bus at Carling Avenue and Merivale Road after finishing work near the Westgate Mall, around 11:25 p.m. Friday.
The man was approached by two men while he waited. The men asked him about his ethnicity and about cutting his beard and hair before walking away.
They both returned a short time later, asked for change, began making racial slurs and one of the suspects flashed a knife.
According to police, the victim then ran to a nearby business but the doors were locked. He was then assaulted by the two suspects, dragged on the ground, and threatened.
The man sustained minor injuries, and was treated at the scene by paramedics. The suspects had also removed and stolen the victim's turban, his phone and bus pass.
The man's boss anonymously tells Postmedia that he was an international student from India who'd only been in the city for two months.
Friday was just his second day on the job. The boss told the Ottawa Citizen that the morning after the attack the man called him and quit, telling him he was "too petrified" to return to work, and that he wanted to make back to India.
Police are offering support systems for the student and the India High Commission is trying to reach him to offer their help.
The two suspects involved in the attack are described as follows:
Suspect 1:
-Caucasian male
-20's
-approximately 5'10" tall
-clean shaven
-short blonde/brown hair
-wearing an orange-type sweatshirt, blue jeans, and runners.
Suspect 2:
-Caucasian
-20's
-approximately 5'6" tall
-clean shaven
-wearing blue track pants or PJ's
Officers are continuing to investigate to further to determine if this crime was, in fact, hate-motivated.
Anyone with information regarding this robbery, or any other robbery, is asked to call the Ottawa Police's Robbery Unit at 613-236-1222, ext. 5116. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or by downloading the Ottawa Police app.
