Two teenage girls have been charged in connection with a swarming attack at a pizza restaurant in Oshawa last week.
Durham police announced the arrests on Friday. They said investigators have also identified another suspect, an 11-year-old boy, but due to his age, he will not be charged.
Police continue to look for two other suspects, a teenage boy and girl, in connection with the July 2 attack that occurred at a Pizza Pizza on Wentworth Street East and Cedar Street.
Durham police said they were initially called to the restaurant for an assault.
A group believed to consist of young people was causing a disturbance at the restaurant, with one person jumping behind the counter to try to take an item, police said.
“That suspect was confronted by the victim, and a violent struggle ensued. During that struggle, several other individuals also jumped behind the counter, swarmed and assaulted the victim,” police alleged in a news release on Saturday.
Extended security camera footage obtained by CTV News shows around 10 people in the group, some of them jumping over the counter to join in the fray.
WARNING: Security video captures violent swarming attack in Oshawa Security video shows a swarming attack in Oshawa where a group of young people allegedly jumped over the counter of a fast-food restaurant to attack a woman.
In Friday’s news release, police said the two girls, a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old, were charged with assault causing bodily harm.
As for the other two outstanding suspects, police said they know the identity of one of them, a 13-year-old boy. He is wanted for assault causing bodily harm, obstructing police and failure to comply with a release order.
The other suspect has not been identified and is described as a Black girl between 12 and 15 years old with a thin build and long braids. She was last seen wearing a grey T-shirt, spandex grey pants and black sandals.
Police said there is no evidence at this time to indicate that hate was an aggravating factor in the assault, and the investigation remains ongoing.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) called on police to look into “every angle of this incident,” including investigating the possibility that it was hate-motivated.
The NCCM said the suspects pulled off the victim’s hijab before assaulting her and stomping on her head.
During a news conference following the incident, the victim’s daughter shared that her mother was “deeply shaken” by what happened.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact investigators at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or Crime Stoppers anonymously.