Henrico police investigating series of break-ins at Buddhist temples

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- The Henrico Police Department is investigating a series of break-ins at two separate Buddhist temples across the county.

On Monday, October 30, police responded to a temple on the 2200 block of Mountain Road for a reported breaking and entering.

When officers arrived, a witness reported that three men kicked in the back door of the temple, before leaving the area. Nothing was reported stolen during the break-in.

In January, police responded to the same temple for a reported burglary.

On the same day of the Mountain Road temple break-in, just hours later police responded to the 2400 block of Old Hanover Road for a reported breaking and entering.

A witness at the temple reported an incident similar to the Mountain Road break-in, saying that someone kicked in the back door of the temple, only this time cash and a number of items were taken.

Henrico police detectives are investigating whether both break-ins are connected.

Henrico police say break-ins at Buddhist temples are common across the country. Police say they have met with officials at Henrico Buddhist temples to provide tips on how to avoid break-ins.

Some of the tips include:

• Walk around your home/business/place of worship and look for any weaknesses. These could include unlocked windows or doors, poor lighting, overgrown shrubbery providing hiding spots, and so forth.
• Make sure all doors and windows are secured when the building is not in active use.
• Invest in a camera system, and make sure it is turned on and functioning properly and captures all areas around your home/business/place of worship as well as activity in the street in front of the property.
• Do not leave large amounts of cash, jewelry, or anything of great value in your home/business/place of worship unsecured.
  For best safety practices, refrain from keeping any cash within a place of worship.
• Be vigilant, look for and report any suspicious activity.

This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.

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