Man accused of torching Sanford temple leads police on mult county chase

Sanford’s Wat Navaram Buddhist Temple was left shaken after a late-night fire on Narcissus Avenue drew police to the well-known place of worship and cultural gathering spot for the local Lao community.

Sanford police said officers responded just after 9:30 p.m. Saturday after reports that someone was trying to set the building on fire. When officers arrived, they found a man at the scene and tried to speak with him, but he fled in a Toyota RAV4, setting off a pursuit that moved through Seminole, Volusia and Flagler counties before ending in St. Johns County.

FOX 35 reported the driver reached 115 mph on Interstate 4 during the chase. Florida Highway Patrol ended the pursuit with a PIT maneuver, bringing the vehicle to a stop. Sanford Fire Rescue extinguished the fire at the temple.

Investigators identified the suspect as 51-year-old Singhasouk Phanouvong, also identified in reporting as Singhasouk Danny Phanouvong, of Atlanta, Georgia. He was booked Sunday into the Volusia County Corrections facility and was expected to make an initial court appearance Monday afternoon. Reported charges include first-degree arson, burglary, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, and resisting arrest.

The temple said it was “deeply saddened” by the vandalism of its place of worship and thanked law enforcement and supporters for their quick response and messages of concern. That response matters beyond the damage itself. Wat Navaram is more than a church building to many in Seminole County; the City of Sanford has listed it as the host of the Lao New Year Festival on April 18 and 19, 2026, underscoring its role as a religious and cultural anchor.

Authorities have not announced a motive or said whether the case will be pursued as a hate crime. The case comes as Florida’s 2023 Hate Crimes Report recorded 311 hate crimes statewide, up 36% from 229 in 2022, a reminder of how quickly a single attack on a place of worship can raise broader fears about safety, belonging and trust.

For Sanford worshippers, the questions now go beyond the burned structure on Narcissus Avenue. They also go to security, restoration and whether a temple that serves as a community center can reopen with the same sense of safety it had before the flames and the chase.