Woman has hijab torn from her head in suspected ‘hate-motivated’ assault in Mississauga

A woman had her hijab ripped from her head before she was thrown to the ground in what police are investigating as a suspected hate-motivated crime in the City Centre area of Mississauga.

Peel Regional Police said the assault, which they believe was unprovoked, took place at around 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 3 as the woman was walking along Mississauga Valley Boulevard in a neighbourhood east of Hurontario Street and south of Central Parkway East.

“As she approached the Cooksville Creek Bridge, she was reportedly confronted by an unknown male who, without provocation, began yelling at her, forcibly removed her jacket hood and hijab, and pushed her to the ground before fleeing the area,” police said in a news release on Wednesday. “Fortunately, the victim was not physically injured.”

Police said they’re investigating the incident as a “suspected hate-motivated crime” and they want to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time of the daytime attack.

Image shows the area where a woman was assaulted on Dec. 3, near the Cooksville Creek Bridge.

The attacker is described by police as a tall white male with a heavy build, wearing a black hoodie and other dark clothing. No age range was provided as part of the description.

He was last seen running into the nearby wooded area, detectives said.

Investigators with the recently formed Peel police Hate Crime Unit are asking for the public’s help in identifying the person responsible for the attack.

Anyone with information in relation to this incident is asked to call police at 905-453-2121, ext. 6098, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

Police also remind residents in the area to be extra vigilant when walking alone and to report suspicious behaviour to police immediately.

The Peel police Hate Crime Unit was formed earlier this year to enhance responses to both hate-motivated crimes and “culturally sensitive” incidents, police said.

The new squad of officers works with other departments within the police force as well as community organizations in an effort to “provide a more streamlined and culturally responsive approach to community safety,” police said earlier.

“These teams will lead investigations across the organization, focusing on hate-motivated incidents, all occurrences involving religious institutions and cultural centres, and incidents stemming from socio/geopolitical tensions.”

Police statistics released earlier in 2025 showed the number of hate crime charges more than doubled in Mississauga and Brampton last year, though the number of reported incidents remained virtually the same.

Image shows general area of the Dec. 3 assault.