THORNHILL — A residence in York Region was tagged with graffiti in the form of a swastika, and a car in the driveway was set on fire, police confirmed last month.

The Dec. 18 incident took place at 185 Royal Orchard Blvd. and echoed a rash of anti-Semitic incidents in the region this past October, when nine vehicles parked in front of six homes were painted with swastikas and anti-Semitic and anti-gay insults.

Sgt. Tony Brown of York Regional Police’s diversity and cultural services office told The CJN the attack is being investigated as a hate crime, but as of Dec. 19, it was being treated as a stand-alone incident.

The swastika was sprayed on the garage door, but Brown said the home was not a Jewish one.

“It’s a crime and we’ll investigate it to see what charges will be laid,” Brown said. “We’ll treat it as an individual [hate crime] until and if we have something more to connect it with [the crimes from October.]. But right now it’s just one incident.”

Canadian Jewish Congress condemned the attack.

“While we don’t yet know the motivation behind this act of violence, the presence of a swastika is always upsetting and of great concern to our community, regardless of whose house it’s painted on,” said Wendy Lampert, Congress’ new national director of community relations.

“In a place where tolerance and openness are values we hold dear… it’s something we feel needs to be properly investigated and we’re confident that [York Regional Police’s] investigation will continue and they will lay the appropriate charges once the perpetrators are found.”