Man arrested for vandalizing Buddhist temples in Manhattan

A man has been arrested after vandalizing several Buddhist temples in Lower Manhattan. The incident took place early Tuesday morning. The suspect caused damage to a number of statues across multiple locations, shocking the local community. At the Sung Tak Buddhist Temple, a fire extinguisher was used to smash a large statue and destroy a smaller one. Temple Master Jie Tong expressed sadness over the damage, noting the significance of the statue in their culture. Later, the same suspect returned and reportedly stole offerings of oranges left for prayer. Surveillance footage captured his actions at both the Sung Tak and the World Buddhist Center, where he also broke surveillance cameras. At the Grace Gratitude Buddhist Temple, which had recently installed bullet-proof glass for protection, a window was found shattered. Abbess Jingyi Shi shared her sorrow over the damages to the temples, calling it a terrible act. Police arrested a 49-year-old man, now facing charges for hate crimes. He is connected to vandalism at three temples but the total number of affected locations may be higher. The investigation into his actions is ongoing.