San Jose couple charged in $18,000 ornament burglary from Hindu temple

FREMONT — A man and woman were charged with different crimes in connection with a Dec. 21 burglary that targeted a Hindu temple, court records show.

A 30-year-old San Jose man was charged with burglary and his 25-year-old girlfriend was charged with accessory. The charging records allege they both walked into a the Vedic Dharma Samaj Fremont Hindu Temple and came out with five gold ornaments that had been hanging from religious statues inside.

Police tracked the man’s BMW and arrested him on Jan. 14, outside of a liquor store in Mountain View, according to court records. One of the ornaments, a necklace, was found in the car’s glove compartment, authorities said.

In a police interview, the couple confessed, with both suspects telling police the woman didn’t know it was going to be a burglary. When police asked her why she didn’t call police afterwards, she said she didn’t want to turn her boyfriend in. They also said that they tried to sell the items at a market in San Jose, but threw them away after being told the ornaments were “fake,” according to court records.

Police say the ornaments were worth $18,000.

The man remains behind bars at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, with bail set at $110,000, court records show. He has a 2021 conviction for robbery in Alameda County. The woman was set free after a Jan. 16 court appearance.