1.19.2015

Woman arrested for vandalizing Buddhist temple

Trang Thu Pham was caught on camera throwing bottles at Buddha statues.



Caught! Asians behaving badly update. In Southern California, the woman who was caught on surveillance video after repeatedly throwing glass bottles at statues outside a Buddhist temple has been arrested.

Woman Arrested for Allegedly Vandalizing Buddhist Temple in Santa Ana

45-year-old Trang Thu Pham was caught on camera chucking bottles at Buddha statues outside the Hoc Tich Buddhist Temple in Santa Ana. There were at least eight incidents between December 16 and January 6. She was finally caught after someone spotted her, recognized her from news reports and called the cops.

Pham told detectives she didn't have any problems with the Buddhist religion -- she apparently had some sort of personal issue with someone associated with the temple.

Santa Ana Police Department detectives were contacted Tuesday by the Costa Mesa Police Department, which reported it had a woman detained in connection with the vandalism of the Buddhist temple, Bertagna said.

A security officer working at a CVS drugstore on Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa recognized the woman from television news reports, Bertagna said. He contacted Costa Mesa police, who responded to the store and detained Pham.

Detectives interviewed Pham, and she confirmed she was the person in the video and pictures depicting the vandalism, Bertagna said. She told detectives she had no issues or problems with the Buddhist religion, Bertagna said.

Pham was booked on suspicion of felony vandalism of a place of worship.

More here: Video: Police say woman admitted to vandalizing Buddha statue at Santa Ana temple

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