Warrant: 2 men charged in Buddhist temple break-in suspected of similar crimes across metro

Two men who are charged with breaking into a Buddhist temple in St. Paul this summer are believed to be linked to similar crimes targeting places of worship across the metro, court documents state.

Stefan Buzoianu, 37, and Artur Crudu, 27, each face one count of second-degree burglary of a religious building.

According to a criminal complaint, on July 17, St. Paul police responded to a report of a burglary on the 900 block of Western Avenue North. The caller, who lives at the address, said she left for a funeral around 9:30 a.m. and came back around 2:30 p.m. to see someone had broken in through the back door.

The cabinet under the altar of the Buddhist temple was damaged, mail in the basement had been opened, and two bedrooms upstairs were ransacked. About $200 was reported stolen from one of the bedrooms, the complaint states.

Video captured two men inside the building who appeared to be between 30 and 40 years old. A crime analyst with the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office identified the men from surveillance images as Buzoianu and Crudu. The complaint alleges they’re part of “a burglary crew” that hit homes and places of worship in Blaine and Carver County.

Buzoianu and Crudu are charged via warrant in Ramsey County and are not currently in custody. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of 10 years.