Manicurist Charged With Trashing Hands, Feet Of Buddhist Statues

SANTA ANA, CA — A manicurist is being held on $300,000 bail, and could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted for destroying statues in Orange County Buddhist temples, the Orange County District Attorney's office has said. The woman allegedly used a rock to remove the hands and fingers on multiple statues. She was charged with eight felony counts of vandalism, the Orange County District Attorney's Office said.

Officials are calling this a "hate crime," as it shows "past intent" of desecrating places of worship, Senior Deputy District Attorney Paul Chrisopoulos said.

Trang Thu Pham, 48, was thought to have caused $100,000 in property damages at the Huong Tich temple and the Phuc Quana on several occasions in August, according to the Garden Grove and Santa Ana Police Departments. This, after being released early from county jail for allegedly trashing other statues and temples in Garden Grove and Santa Ana in early August.

Pham was deemed a "person of interest" last week, according to Sgt. Anthony Bertagna of the Santa Ana Police Department.

If Pham is responsible, it would not be the first time she was caught vandalizing the statues, according to court records. In May of 2015, Pham was convicted for similar vandalism charges over the winter of 2015. Records show that she was sentenced to two years in jail.

“An attack on one religion is an attack on all,” stated District Attorney Tony Rackauckas. "We must stand up to bigotry and respect everyone’s right to worship."

OCDA Photo