Man charged with hate crime for vandalism spree targeting Manhattan Buddhist temples
A beef with Buddhist monks sparked a man on a vandalism rampage who broke into several temples in Manhattan's Chinatown and damaged religious artifacts, police said Thursday.
Taihong Ouyang, 49, was arrested Tuesday and charged with burglary and criminal mischief, both as hate crimes, and aggravated harassment after a string of break ins at the worship sites earlier that day.
Cops say Ouyang was caught on camera early Tuesday smashing in windows at several locations, where he shattered glass, destroyed security cameras and demolished statues.
He was angry 'the monks at these temples are acting improperly by charging too much money and putting people on the wrong religious path,' he told cops, according to court papers. He wanted 'to give these temples a beating,' he told police, a criminal complaint against him says.
Cops said Ouyang's rampage began shortly after midnight at a temple on Eldridge St. where he used a metal object to break the windows. Cops said he came back several hours later and broke more windows.
Surveillance video from an acupuncture and massage business on Canal St. that shares its location with the Mahayana Buddhist Temple shows Ouyang breaking a window there shortly before 1 a.m., police said.
Cops said he also attacked the World Buddhist Temple on Henry St., the Huang Da Xian Taoist Temple on Bowery St. and the Grace Gratitude Buddhist Temple on East Broadway.
'I find it incredible that my temple has been destroyed. I cannot understand it and I cannot accept it,' Xinyuan, the leader of the World Buddhist Temple, said in Mandarin. 'The main purpose of Buddhism is world peace and harmonious coexistence of various religions, which brings good luck to the people of society and allows them to live and work in peace and contentment. The destruction of the temple this time has made people around us feel fearful and uneasy.'
A temple operated on Pike Street by the Sung Tak Buddhist Association was also damaged. Two statues outside the temple were damaged, including one that will cost about $10,000 to repair, temple officials said.
Ouyang, who is homeless, according to cops, was released without bail after being arraigned Wednesday in Manhattan Criminal Court.
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A Chinese couple was arrested at an airport for smuggling a fungus, considered a biological pathogen, hidden in a wad of tissues
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My heart genuinely went out to that kid. I obviously don't condone what they did, but I understand the anger that led them to do it. During our conversation, we talked about our frustrations, about how to work for change more effectively, about the need for more compassion and community. I was in awe of how present and thoughtful they were, and I also could see how much they were struggling to do right too. This incident, which started out so terribly, turned into the highlight of my day. Still, I'm aware that our encounter wasn't as challenging — or even potentially dangerous — as it could have been. That teen probably shares 95% of my beliefs, seemed to be acting out in a mostly harmless way, and was open to connecting with me. But what if I had come upon an adult who held radically different views from me or who lashed out when they were confronted? Would I have been able to take a breath and try to be curious about their story or their fears — not with the goal to change their mind or change mine, but simply to learn what they might be carrying? Because we all are carrying something these days. Going forward, it's my hope that instead of waiting for moments of conflict to pop up, I can be more open to simply meeting people (within or outside my blue bubble), asking them more questions, and making fewer assumptions about who they are, what they're feeling or what they're going through. I don't know if I'll always be able to rise to that aspiration, but after feeling what I felt when I drove away from that parking lot on that sun-bright morning, every part of me wants to try. Katarina Wong is an artist, writer, and spiritual director based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she lives with her partner and their blended dog family. Katarina is the author of Three Threads, a weekly Substack newsletter that uses art to explore personal creativity and spirituality as core to the human experience. You can find her on Instagram @katarinawong and on Bluesky @katarinawong. Do you have a compelling personal story you'd like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we're looking for here and send us a pitch at pitch@ I Just Got Into Harvard. My MAGA Grandparents' 6-Word Reaction To My Acceptance Devastated Me. I Just Lost My Job Because I'm An American My J6 Neighbor Was Released From Prison By Trump. I'm Furious About What Happened The Day He Got Home.
