Georgia man arrested after allegedly setting fire to Buddhist Temple in Sanford
By Madilyn Destefano
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SANFORD, Florida (WESH) — A former member of the Wat Navaram Buddhist Temple in Sanford, Danny Singhasouk Phanouvong, is accused of burglary, arson, and causing extensive damage to the temple on Saturday.
Surveillance footage captured Phanouvong damaging priceless relics, setting fires in the Daily Worship Hall and residential area, and fueling the blaze with items from inside the hall, including electronics that ignited small explosions. The fire blackened the red ceiling of the hall.
The temple’s attorney, Joe Panyanouvong, said Phanouvong also attempted to disable a van used by monks for transportation.
“He took a lot of concrete items from here and threw them into the van, broke all the van’s windows out. He used it to break into the main residential area as well,” Panyanouvong said.
Damage extended to other buildings, leaving the community shaken.
“Everybody’s in shock, and everybody’s sad, especially knowing that the person who did this was once a member of our temple,” Panyanouvong said. “It appears to be some type of mental health problem, mental health crisis.”
Phanouvong’s family was unaware of the incident, according to Panyanouvong, who said the suspect had moved to Atlanta 10 years ago but drove from Atlanta to Sanford to allegedly cause the devastation.
While the attorney suspects damages could run into the tens of thousands of dollars, he expressed concern for a wheelchair-bound monk who was trapped inside an apartment during the fire. The visiting monk from Thailand was unharmed and safely removed from the apartment after another monk called 911.
Panyanouvong believes the damages and arson were targeted, noting that the suspect focused on the hall used daily by seniors rather than the main worship hall reserved for larger events.
“We have two worship halls. One is the main worship hall here, which is used for big events, but he targeted the hall that is used daily every day,” he said. “It’s kind of shattered their peace and shattered their sense of safety here.”
Phanouvong is being held in the Volusia County Jail without bond on charges including first-degree arson and burglary. The local community and businesses, along with supporters worldwide, have offered assistance to help rebuild the temple.
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