VicPD are investigating an alleged targeted hate crime that occurred at a downtown Victoria church.
Just after 11 p.m. on Sunday, September 12th, two people were caught on video surveillance spray-painting St. Andrew’s Cathedral located at the corner of Blanshard and View Streets.
The video, captured from the 700-block of View Street, appears to show a suspect damaging the church while a witness is seen speaking with another suspect—who VicPD believe was acting as lookout.
Investigators are looking to identify and speak with this male witness, and want to assure this person that they are not a suspect in the hate crime investigation.
In a second video, captured in the 1200-block of Blanshard Street, the primary suspect and the secondary suspect, again acting as a lookout, are observed damaging the church.
Another witness, who police described as female, is seen walking past and observing the incident.
Investigators are also looking to identify and speak with this witness. This person is also not believed to be a suspect in the hate crime investigation.
VicPD believe that these two people also participated in several other similar acts of vandalism occurring in Oak Bay and Saanich.
“Targeting places of worship for political purposes is against the Criminal Code of Canada and not welcome in Victoria or Esquimalt,” VicPD said in a statement.
“The nature of the targeting and some of the vandalism meets the standard for investigation as a hate-motivated incident or hate crime. Officers are looking to identify and speak with the two suspects.”
Anyone with information about this incident, the suspects, or the two witnesses, is asked to call VicPD at (250) 995-7654.
