Police release information about White Settlement temple thief
WHITE SETTLEMENT (CBSNewsTexas.com) – Nearly a year after nine people stole thousands of dollars from a Buddhist temple, police have identified one of the robbers.
Narcis Chiciu, 36, is wanted for engaging in organized criminal activity, a second-degree felony. Police believe Chiciu is residing in the Arlington area.
The crime happened on Nov. 20, 2022 at the Wat Busayadhammvanaram Buddhist Temple, located at 7916 White Settlement Rd.
Two men and seven women arrived at the temple in a silver minivan, police say. One woman stayed in the car while the other eight people got out and walked towards the temple.
Police say one of the women engaged in a conversation with a monk and another person outside before asking to pray inside the temple.
Once they were inside, the robbers were seen speaking to another monk while the women disappeared into the back of the building. They began breaking into filing cabinets, kicked in doors and damaged other living spaces inside the temple.
Police say the robbers were on the property for a total of 23 minutes.
The silver van was found abandoned in a neighborhood about a mile away from the temple. Police then discovered the van was a Toyota Sienna with a fake paper tag (No. 4607699) that was reported stolen out of Dallas. The van was registered in Colorado.
The temple said that $38,000 in cash donations was stolen during the robbery.
Police say that within a matter of days of this robbery, three other temples across the metroplex were hit by robberies as well as dozens across the U.S.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Tarrant County Crime Stoppers at (817)469-TIPS or (817)246-7070 or via email to investigator@wspd.us. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward for information leading to the prosecution of the robbers.