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Woodside temple burglary now being investigated as hate crime: NYPD

The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force has joined the investigation into a burglary at a Woodside temple last week. Photo courtesy of the NYPD

Jan. 11, 2024 By Bill Parry

The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is now investigating a commercial burglary that took place at a Woodside house of worship during the early hours on Wednesday, Jan. 3.

Police from the 108th Precinct in Long Island City reported that the suspect entered the Shri Guru Ravi Dass Temple at around 1:30 a.m. through an unlocked basement door at 61-01 Broadway.

Once inside, the unidentified man took $50 and a variety of items. An NYPD spokeswoman said the stolen items were household goods, including a blanket.

The man fled the temple on foot northbound on 61st Street toward Northern Boulevard. There were no injuries reported during the burglary, police said. It is unclear why the incident has been deemed a hate crime. 

The NYPD has released a photo of the suspect and describes him as having a medium complexion, being approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, and weighing around 165 pounds. He also had a full beard and mustache at the time of the theft. He was last seen wearing a black hooded winter jacket, and multi-colored sneakers and he was carrying a small orange bag.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website, on Twitter @NYPDTips.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
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