Armed men barged into a Gurudwara in Livingston, California and took away the money from a donation box kept inside the complex on Sunday morning.
According to Livingston police, three robbers entered the Gurudwara through the front door. One of the men had a gun, while another with a knife. The third robber was unarmed.
The three men took a few thousand dollars from a donation box and left through a side door, joining two other men who were waiting outside, local newspaper Merced Sunstar quoted police as saying .
Police Chief Ruben Chavez said all of the men were wearing hooded jackets or sweatshirts, concealing their identities. Police are searching for three unidentified men.
Chavez said while money has been stolen from the donation box before, it’s the first robbery that he knows of at the Gurudwara.
“This is more brazen because they did come in armed. Obviously it’s someone who knew the temple because they knew where to go,” he was quoted as saying.
“We’re looking at different angles, and we will do our best to get to the bottom of it. We really want to identify who they are,” Chavez said.
Sikhs make up nearly 20 per cent of Livingston’s population. In August, a Wisconsin shooting rampage at a Sikh Gurudwara left seven people dead.
Mayor Pro Tem Gurpal Samra, who worships at both of the city’s Sikh Gurudwaras, classified Sunday’s robbery as “very disturbing.”
“I was in Fresno when I got the call,” Samra said. “The first thing that flashed in my mind was Wisconsin, right away.”
The Wisconsin incident was one of the reasons officials at the temple had surveillance cameras installed, said Narinder Dola, vice president of the temple.
Three person, including a woman, were present inside the Gurudwara at the time of incident. No one was hurt during the robbery at the 884 B St. temple.
Dola was glad those inside the Gurudwara didn’t confront the robbers. “I think they did the smart move, they didn’t do anything, they just kept quiet.”
A woman was inside the temple worshipping, and one of the men put his finger over his lips while motioning for her to be quiet. Two other worshippers, one of whom was asleep, were inside when the robbery occurred.
Police chief Chavez said they are reviewing surveillance footage from the robbery. Temple President Rajinder Takhar agreed that the situation could have been a lot worse. Despite the incident, the temple will continue to stay open and welcoming to the public, he said.
“It’s a place of worship,” Takhar said. “This is where we come and worship. We donate the money here, we don’t steal from here.”
The robbers could be facing several charges if arrested, including armed robbery, brandishing a firearm, conspiracy, burglary with intent to commit a felony, exhibiting a deadly weapon and exhibiting a firearm, according to police.
It’s likely that there will be an increased police presence at both of Livingston’s Sikh temples in the near future.
——PTI