Milpitas's Shirdi Sai Parivaar Temple Burglarized as South Bay Hindu Worship Sites Face Organized Theft
The Shirdi Sai Parivaar Temple in Milpitas was burglarized in the early hours of September 25, 2025, with intruders stealing the sacred donation hundi and jewelry from the Chavdi — items of deep spiritual significance to the congregation. CCTV footage of the suspects was shared with the Milpitas Police Department, which opened an investigation. The break-in is part of a wider pattern of crimes targeting Hindu temples and other religious institutions across the South Bay and beyond California.
🪔 Milpitas Shrine Hit by Early-Morning Break-In, Sacred Items Stolen
The Shirdi Sai Parivaar Temple in Milpitas was burglarized in the early morning hours of September 25, 2025, leaving its congregation shaken by both the material loss and the sense of spiritual violation. Intruders entered the building by forcing open a side lobby door, then moved into the main hall, where they forcibly removed the center donation hundi — the sacred collection box that held offerings gathered from recent worship celebrations. The theft did not stop there: the intruders also took jewelry from the Chavdi, items devotees regard as sacred objects inseparable from the sanctity of the worship space. Temple officials reported that the entire intrusion lasted roughly ten minutes, occurring between 5:30 and 5:40 in the morning. Security cameras inside the temple recorded the suspects throughout the break-in, and that footage was promptly shared with the Milpitas Police Department, which opened a formal investigation. A temple spokesperson conveyed the community's grief to Diya TV in terms that went beyond the monetary: the hundi is a vessel of collective devotion, and its removal from the podium was experienced by worshippers as a desecration. Community members came together to support the temple's recovery in the aftermath, while police recommended that nearby places of worship take stock of their security arrangements. The Milpitas incident is not an isolated case: comparable break-ins have been reported at Hindu temples in Santa Clara, Fremont, Newark, Sacramento, and Indiana over the preceding two years, prompting growing calls from South Asian community leaders for stronger protective measures and federal recognition of what they describe as an escalating pattern of crimes — whether hate-motivated or opportunistic — targeting Hindu places of worship across the United States. [4]
San Jose Man Held on $1 Million Bail After $50,000-Plus Theft Spree at South Bay Worship Sites
A San Jose man was held on $1 million bail after Santa Clara County prosecutors charged him with orchestrating a systematic theft campaign directed at churches and temples across the South Bay, including a Hindu place of worship. Jaime Gutierrez Flores, 33, allegedly broke into at least eight religious institutions across the region during a multi-month spree, and was ultimately arrested at a San Jose church. According to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, Flores and an accomplice returned to a Hindu temple in Sunnyvale on three separate occasions, removing more than $45,000 from donation boxes during those visits alone — a sum that reflects both the scale of the scheme and the targeted, repeated nature of the attacks. Total losses across all the institutions exceeded $50,000. District Attorney Jeff Rosen framed the prosecution in terms that resonate with congregations across all faith communities, stating that places of worship hold a special standing in civic life: when they are invaded, the damage extends far beyond whatever is stolen. The DA's office said it would pursue full accountability for Flores and all those who took part. For the Desi community in Milpitas and across the broader South Bay, the case is a clear reminder of the vulnerability of mandirs, gurdwaras, and community centers to planned theft. The repeated targeting of the Sunnyvale Hindu temple on three separate visits indicates a level of deliberate planning that community leaders say underscores the urgency of improved physical security, including locked donation enclosures, high-quality surveillance systems, and coordinated communication among South Bay places of worship when suspicious activity is observed. [8]