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.