SANFORD, Fla. – Newly released security video captures the moment a man set fire to a Buddhist temple in Sanford before leading law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit across multiple counties.
Singhasouk Danny Phanouvong, 51, of Atlanta, was arrested around 10:35 p.m. Saturday, on Interstate 95 North in St. Johns County. He faces charges of first-degree arson, burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, criminal mischief to a religious property, fleeing and eluding law enforcement at high speed and resisting an officer with violence.
The security footage shows Phanouvong pushing things over, grabbing items and kicking them as he walks through the space. According to an attorney for the temple, Joe Panyanougvong of Durham Law Group PC, the entire incident lasted between 45 minutes and an hour.
“There was a person that was a former member of the temple, likely experiencing some type of mental health crisis, and for reasons unknown, came down here and basically severely damaged and vandalized the temple and some of the property outside the temple,” Panyanougvong explained to News 6.
Panyanougvong said the suspect’s family is still actively involved with the temple.
“It’s saddening that the person who went on this rampage is one of our own who had a connection to the temple,” said Panyanougvong. “But it also appears that he acted by himself and that the family, who were also members of the temple, had absolutely nothing to do with this. And they had no idea that this was going to happen.”
Our News 6 team walked through the temple on Monday and saw the path of destruction left behind. Members explained that two monks were at the property at the time, and they didn’t realize what was happening at first. One of the monks described how he initially thought someone had come to visit, and it wasn’t until he walked outside and saw the damaged van that he realized something was wrong and looked inside the building.
“He must be really mad at something or somebody,” one temple member said while walking through the damage with News 6.
“He damaged some of the outside worship areas, our stupa outside, and then also one of our new worship chapels,” Panyanougvong said. “And then this area that he seemed to focus more on is the day-to-day worship hall.”
Pictures show what the main worship room looked like before the fire — recently renovated — and what it looked like after: blackened and destroyed.
“We used to do a lot of ceremonial things right here,” one temple member said. “I still want to cry. I still got goosebumps.”
By the time Sanford Police arrived, they say the suspect had broken the windows of a silver Toyota Sienna van parked outside, set fire to the worship hall and was starting to drive away from the scene.
A report obtained by News 6 from Sanford Police says their officers commanded the man to stop, but the driver ignored the orders, placed the vehicle in reverse and drove away. The officer even tapped the front passenger door to get the driver’s attention, but the vehicle continued to drive, the report states.
Phanouvong was pursued all the way to St. John’s County, where law enforcement used a PIT maneuver to stop his vehicle. A report from the Florida Highway Patrol says he had a blank stare and was playing loud music when deputies approached him. They eventually broke the window to pull him out and place him into custody.
On Monday, Phanouvong was denied bond at a first appearance hearing in Volusia County.
Despite the destruction, the attorney for the temple said the response from the community has been encouraging.
“In the short time since this happened, we’ve had an outpouring of support and outpouring of love from our own community and then from the Central Florida community at large,” he said.
The temple plans to rebuild using insurance and the same community support that built it in the first place.
“It’s the local members that are going to come here and pick up the trash with their hands,” Panyanougvong said. “We’re going to get back to where we were. It’s just going to take time.”
Temple members, though deeply hurt, said they are not angry — only searching for answers.
“We’re not mad, but we just don’t understand why,” one member said. “We wish we knew why.”