Armed burglars kicked in back door of Buddhist temple in Brooklyn, police say
NEW YORK -- Police are searching for suspects they say robbed a group of Buddhist monks inside a Brooklyn temple where they live.
CBS New York spoke to the monks about their scary experience.
"They threw all the paper, all the books, on the ground," Sutaea Kong said.
Kong showed the living room and bedroom robbers ransacked in Prospect Park South on Sunday afternoon looking for valuables.
"I scared ... because first time for me," a monk said.
Police say at around 2:30 p.m. at least three men wearing masks kicked in the back door of the temple on Rugby Road in Flatbush, with weapons in hand.
"Knife, knife, I look at knife ... gun ... gun," a monk said.
One monk, who recently moved to New York from Cambodia, said one of the suspects flashed a gun at them, held a knife to his throat, and made them lie on the floor and then demanded cash.
"'Sit down ... Where's money? Where's money?'" the monk said, recounting what the suspects said.
The monks said the burglars took their cellphones and an undisclosed amount of cash, including all the money from a donation box.
Worshippers went Monday to the temple with food and well wishes, but also expressed their worries for the men who live there.
"I'm not good. My feeling, I'm worried about my temple," one said.
Despite their fears, they said they forgive the burglars.
"Buddhist monk have to pray for all people around the world," Kong said. "Not killing, not stealing out of poverty, not make misconduct or telling a lie."
As for the suspects, police say they took off on foot.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
