'People take advantage': Buddhist community on edge after HPD says 4th temple targeted by burglars

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- People within Houston's Buddhist community say they feel on edge after another temple was burglarized last week.

The Houston Police Department confirmed this makes the fourth reported incident since September, but investigators believe there may be more cases.

Thanh Long Tu Temple, also known as the Culture of Golden Heart Association, made the decision to file a report Wednesday for a burglary that happened on Sept. 29. Their nun, who didn't want to share her name and face out of safety concerns, told ABC13 the suspect made off with some cash from their donation box and damaged their altar.

Last Sunday, the nun shared that she had a suspicious encounter after four men entered their facility and quickly left in a minivan after she greeted them. Although no crime was committed and nothing was taken, it was enough to give them the push they needed to file a report about the September incident.

Thuy Le, the attorney representing the temple, said the reason why she's concerned is because these crimes impact a very vulnerable community.

"A lot of times, the doors are open. Anybody who wants to come in and worship, to burn incense, to pray, it's open. So when they open that door to the community, unfortunately, what happens is people take advantage of that openness," Le said.

In January, ABC13 reported about two Buddhist temples in southwest Houston that were ransacked and burglarized within hours of each other. A monk who supervises the Huong Nghiem Temple said the intruders climbed through their neighbor's broken gate and stole hundreds of dollars in cash from their property.

Just a couple hours later, Cam Lo Temple was also hit, all while their Sunday worship service was taking place in the main building. The nun who lives on-site said the suspects climbed through their windows and took off with their cash donation boxes.

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Then, last Wednesday, Houston police said the Texas Guandi Temple on Milby Street was targeted after someone broke several of their doors and took off with some cash.

A monk with Phuoc Duc Temple on Lilleaux Road told ABC13 they saw someone peeking through their windows last week but never entered their property.

The string of incidents is leaving several people on high alert. Le explains there may be more of an uptick in burglaries around this time of year due to the Lunar New Year season, when more community members tend to visit Buddhist temples and donate money. She pointed out that similar upticks are also happening in other cities around the country.

Tuong Quang Temple in Baytown told ABC13 over the phone that burglars climbed through their windows on Dec. 5. They didn't file a police report because nothing was taken.

However, investigators encourage anyone who might be a victim to reach out to HPD. They believe this is a crime that is being underreported and may be hindering their ability to track whether it's becoming a trend.

Le explained that some of the reasons why these crimes can go unreported are language barriers, fear of retaliation, and distrust of law enforcement.

"Everybody's very nervous and scared. They don't want to be the public face of anything. They're very afraid of retribution. They're afraid of somebody coming back and causing trouble for them," Le said. "I know this is a community that historically does not cooperate or have strong relations with police. But we want anyone out there who's been affected to contact HPD."

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