The Globe and Mail

Police have a 22-year-old man in custody and are searching for a second suspect after several downtown Toronto banks were vandalized with anti-G20 slogans early Friday.

In what appears to be Toronto’s first G20-related vandalism, five banks were targeted with graffiti, including three at the intersection of Spadina Avenue and Dundas Street West. The other two are in the same neighbourhood.

Red spray paint on the window of a TD Canada Trust branch reads “Stop the G20.” The outside wall of an RBC branch was also defaced with “Resist G20” using a stencil with an image that appeared to be a bird. ABMs were also covered in red and black paint.

“We have investigators speaking with the person in custody to try and determine a motive behind it and what facilitated this, if the person in fact does have any ulterior motives or if this is simply something to gain attention,” said Constable Wendy Drummond.

In addition, a prisoner transport wagon parked on nearby St. Patrick Street was targeted with “derogatory comments towards the police,” Const. Drummond said.

Police said a witness reported that two men on bicycles were going from bank to bank at 3:48 a.m.

Police arrested Samuel Bradley Kadosh, 22, shortly after 4 a.m. and later charged him with nine counts of mischief under $5,000.

Investigators are urging anyone with information about the vandalism to come forward. Police are recovering video from the banks’ surveillance cameras.

At least one of the banks had called in a graffiti removal company to get rid of the vandalism Friday morning.

The vandalism came just hours before a police are to hold a news conference to announce details of the security perimeter for the G20, which is being held in Toronto on June 26-27.

Earlier this month, an RBC branch in Ottawa was firebombed allegedly by an anarchist group opposed to the upcoming G8 and G20 summits. No one was injured and police have not made any arrests.