Written by Candice Choi, CNN
Police in Toronto have arrested a man for deliberately causing thousands of dollars of damage to vehicles on local streets.
On Thursday, Daniel Leon was arrested in relation to incidents that have occurred over the last year, including causing $135,000 in damage to gas and electricity lines and $45,000 to parked cars.
The incidents are said to have occurred in different parts of the city and have affected several different communities. According to the Toronto Police Department, the motive behind the incidents are unclear, although officers do not believe the incidents are targeted attacks based on gender, race or ethnicity.
“It’s not targeted. It’s not targeted with the purpose of harm, but it is targeted with the intent to have the vehicle damage,” said Laura Godin, a spokesperson for the Toronto Police Department.
For some victims, the incidents were unsettling, but unavoidable.
Cmdr. Lloyd Axworthy with the Toronto Police Department said it was the first time the organization had received vandalism related to hate crimes.
“It’s extremely uncommon to say we have this problem,” Axworthy said. “What we have is multiple vehicles parked on the same property all around the same time.”
He added that while the incidents are still under investigation, it is possible that others similar incidents may have occurred in the past.