Woman facing arson, hate crime charge following fire at Tassajara Zen Buddhist monastery
Authorities in Monterey County announced an arrest Tuesday in connection with a fire that burned the nation's oldest Buddhist monastery in late March.
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office said 36-year-old Fiona GuoGuo Lu of Mountain View was arrested after investigators found online social media posts that connected her to the March 27 fire at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center.
Known as the oldest Japanese Buddhist Soto Zen monastery in the United States, the center is in a remote location about 30 miles south of Carmel Valley in the Los Padres National Forest.
Lu's alleged posts also threatened further violence towards Buddhist temples, according to deputies. She is currently being held at the Napa County Jail for charges unrelated to the fire and is awaiting extradition to Monterey County.
"The Monterey County Sheriff's Office remains committed to protecting every member of our community and ensuring that all people can safely practice their faith without fear of violence, intimidation, or threats," Sheriff Tina Nieto said in a statement. We take allegations involving crimes motivated by bias or hatred very seriously and will continue to work diligently to investigate these incidents and hold those responsible accountable under the law."
The sheriff's office thanked the staff and faculty at the Tassajara Zen Center who jumped into action during the fire, as well as fire personnel who prevented the spread of the blaze in a vulnerable area.
Access, distance, and limited communications around the monastery posed real challenges, but swift action by emergency responders stopped what could have been a much larger fire, deputies said.
Lu is facing charges of arson, criminal threats, and felony hate crime. Her bail is set at $130,000.
Anyone with additional information about the fire, related social media posts, or threats directed toward Buddhist religious institutions is asked to contact Deputy Aly Najem or Deputy Kyle Massa at 831-755-5111.
