Police say a 25-year-old woman is facing allegations of assault, an unprovoked attack by the Ajax Public Library.
According to Durham police, a woman was studying at the library on Harwood Avenue on March 22 when she was contacted by another woman she didn’t know.
“The woman began to yell at the victim and threw objects toward her head,” police said in a press release on Sunday. “The suspect then tried to pour out the victim’s turban while pouring an unknown liquid. The suspect then grabbed a lighter and tried to light the hijab to fire.”
According to police, security personnel at the library heard the victim’s screams and managed to intervene.
The suspect fled the library but was detained a few hours later without any accidents.
Kaley-Ann Freier of Ajax is charged with two counts of weapon assault and three counts of failure to comply with a probation order.
Police said the investigation is underway and there may be other charges if the official lawyer’s office determines the incident should be considered a hate crime.
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the police.
