SANFORD, Fla. — An Atlanta man remains behind bars after police say he set a Buddhist temple on fire, then led officers on a multi-county chase.
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According to the Sanford Police Department in Florida, officers were called to Wat Navaram Buddhist Temple on Narcissus Avenue around 9:37 p.m. on May 2, following reports that someone was actively trying to set the building on fire.
When officers arrived, they said they heard a fire alarm sounding and spotted a car leaving the scene. Authorities tried to stop the driver, later identified as 51-year-old Danny Singhasouk Phanouvong, but he sped off, leading officers on a chase through several counties.
Police say Phanouvong continued speeding through Seminole, Volusia, and Flagler counties before being stopped in St. Johns County. The Florida Highway Patrol used a PIT maneuver to disable the car and take Phanouvong into custody.
Back at the temple, officers discovered a damaged vehicle with burned items nearby and an active fire inside the building. Sanford firefighters responded and were able to extinguish the flames. No injuries were reported.
Worshippers at the Wat Navaram Buddhist Temple told our sister station, WFTV Channel 9, that the suspect had worshipped with them at the temple before relocating to Atlanta.
Surveillance video from inside Wat Navaram Buddhist Temple shows the attack on the worship hall.
Attorney Joe Panyanouvong grew up in the temple and described the space to WFTV as, “the heart and soul of the temple.”
According to WFTV, the video shows the suspect knocking over a statue before lighting a pedestal on fire. The flames slowly spread, sending soot and smoke throughout the building and turning the red ceiling black.
Several monks were inside the temple at the time, according to Panyanouvong. Phra Wanlop, speaking through a translator, said he hid in the main hall during the attack and called other monks to figure out how to communicate with 911 operators.
“At some point he relied on his faith. Because he was scared and so he thought to himself, he has to be strong,” said a translator for Wanlop.
Panyanouvong told WFTV, “What’s happened has really shattered their sense of safety, and this was their place. This was their home away from home.”
Before cleanup can begin, community members said they are waiting for an insurance adjuster to assess the damage and file a claim. The temple has been part of the community for more than three decades, and members said they plan to repair and rebuild.
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The Atlanta man was arrested and is charged with arson, fleeing and eluding law enforcement, burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, and criminal mischief involving a religious property.
Phanouvong was booked into the Volusia County Jail.
On Monday, a judge denied his bond, calling him “a danger to the community.”
Investigators are still working to determine a possible motive.
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