The Chua Truc Lam Yen Tu (TICH) Buddhist Temple is no stranger to acts of vandalism. Over the past 4 years, the statues there have been stolen, vandalized and attacked with glass bottles. Now, police need your help finding a woman whom they believe has struck before.
It's meant to be a place of peace, but the tranquillity of this Santa Ana Buddhist temple has been marred by vandalism and it's not the first time.
"I'm scared. I can't sleep because I'm worried too much about it," said Alice Hong, TICH Buddhist Temple.
Hong said the most recent damage was of eight marble statues with either their fingers or hands cut off.
Hong worshiped and lived at the temple on the corner of Rosita and 5th Streets for 20 years, but for the past 4 years, the numerous statues which like the property have been vandalized and stolen.
"It's for them to worship you know, to do like this it's not good," said Hong.
Trang Thu Pham was arrested and convicted in 2016 after she was captured on the temple's security cameras both vandalizing and stealing some of the statues in 2016 and 2015. She was released from jail a year ago.
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Last week, a woman matching Pham's description was captured again on the temple's security cameras walking onto the property and damaging statues.
"If it is the same person as before we need to get her into custody," said Anthony Bertagna, Santa Ana Police Department.
Bertagna said the suspect needs to be caught before she does more physical and emotional damage.
"Obviously this is a place where people go to worship their faith. It's important to our community. It's supposed to be a place of peace," said Bertagna.
Each marble statue costs about $25,000. 8 have been damaged in the past week.
