Man sought after allegedly removing woman's hijab in Ottawa hate-motivated assault

Ottawa police are actively investigating an incident they are classifying as a hate-motivated assault after a man forcibly removed a woman's hijab. The assault took place around 11 p.m. on Saturday in the 100 block of Woodridge Crescent. According to the police report, the man approached the woman without provocation, directed a racial slur at her, and then physically removed her hijab before throwing an umbrella at her.

The suspect fled the scene on foot and was unknown to the victim. Fortunately, the woman was not physically injured during the unprovoked attack. The West Criminal Investigations Section and the Hate Crime Unit are continuing their investigation into the matter.

Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding the incident or the suspect's identity to contact the Ottawa Police Service at 613-236-1222, extension 7300, referencing case number 26-170255. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers.