Two charged in connection to Twin Cities temple thefts, police say
MAPLE GROVE, Minn. — There are new charges for thieves who police said specifically targeted Twin Cities temples.
The series of burglaries targeted homes and places of worship belonging to individuals of the Hindu and Buddhist faiths, according to Maple Grove police, who are part of a multi-jurisdictional investigation into the incidents.
The two men now in custody are believed to be connected to the string of thefts.
Police said those men are now charged in a July 6 burglary of a Maple Grove home along Vagabond Lane. That home is just minutes south of where temple leaders said $70,000 worth of jewelry and cash, including sacred religious items, were stolen from the Hindu Society of Minnesota last June.
Charges filed in Ramsey County on Monday also accuse the two men of burglary at a Buddhist temple in St. Paul on July 14. A woman who lived in the temple had returned home from a funeral to find damage to the back door and to a cabinet under the alter. She said approximately $200 was taken from the smaller bedroom, according to documents. The two men were seen on video looking around the building, charges say.
In all, those burglars stole $100,000 worth of money, jewelry and sacred items from 14 temples, said Shajive Jeganathan, president of the Hindu Society of Minnesota.
"It hasn't sunk in yet. It's so brazen that they could walk in, steal something, wave at a camera and walk out," said Jeganathan.
The two men charged in the burglary include a 27-year-old suspect, currently jailed in Orange County, California, and a 37-year-old being held in ICE custody in Freeborn County, police said. Both men will eventually be extradited to Hennepin County. The charges in Ramsey County say they are part of a burglary crew "targeting places of worship and residences in Blaine, Minnesota, and Carvery County."
"It still shakes me to this day," said Jeganathan.
Authorities in Carver County were able to recover $5,000 worth of the stolen items, including rings and earrings, Jeganathan said.
"It is highly unlikely at this time that any of the other items will be returned," he said. "However, one can hope."
Meanwhile, Maple Grove police said their investigation into the Hindu Society thefts continues, where charges have yet to be filed.
"I'm really grateful to Minnesota's law enforcement agencies. They've been above and beyond, and I'm extremely grateful for all the work they did to make sure that our temple will be the last and Minnesota will be the last place that they could be burglarizing," said Jeganathan.