Hindu Temple in Modesto pleads for public's help after string of break-ins, thefts
(FOX40.COM) — Members of a Hindu temple in Modesto are speaking out after a recent string of break-ins, thefts, and vandalism.
This week, they were able to capture footage of a possible suspect and now they're asking for the public's help to identify the thief or thieves responsible and put a stop to it.
Shiu Bhawaan temple has been around for 15 years, and the temple's president, Aklesh Prasad, says they have never had any trouble before. But the last 6 months are when things have been taking a bad turn.
The temple, located on North Carpenter Road, has been a place of peace and calm for many of the city's Hindu community.
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'It's big. A lot of Fiji Hindu people are here. And all the Hindus are from other countries too; they come to this church, too,' said Prasad.
But the recent string of break-ins and thefts has members of the temple on edge.
Prasad says there have been at least four incidents in the last 6 months.
'When break-ins happened before, we didn't have the cameras, so after that, after a couple of break-ins, we started putting cameras up, and then last Monday, we caught this guy on our camera,' Prasad said.
Prasad released a video that he says captured the most recent break-in earlier this week. In the video, a man is seen going inside the temple, and in another video, the same man is seen running out a back door.
He says these incidents have resulted in stolen instruments, sound system accessories, and at least $18,000 stolen in donations.
'It goes back to the church, we use it for the utilities and insurance, and all that, we always donate for the funerals, people who need it, needy people…we donate,' Prasad said.
Prasad says they are unsure if the same person in the video might be responsible for all the break-ins and thefts, but they have contacted law enforcement.
He is hoping that sharing this video with the public might help them get some answers.
They are asking anyone who may recognize the person in the video to contact the authorities.
'It's really annoying, you know, because this is a place of divine worship,' Prasad said. 'People come peacefully here, they socialize here, too, and then we are very much ashamed of ourselves when people from outside come and steal property, steal and damage our property, vandalize this whole property. It's not nice.'
For now, prasad says they left having to pay for the losses out of their own pocket, along with the help of community donations.
'It's expensive. Those cost thousands and thousands of dollars to replace,' Prasad said.
They're hoping that whoever is responsible for the thefts and break-ins will be caught soon so that their members will have some peace of mind, and they won't be dissuaded from coming back to the temple.
The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office says they have received the report and will be looking into these incidents.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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