A man accused of stealing from churches by pretending to be a priest has been arrested in California.
Malin Rostas, 45, was taken into custody by Riverside County sheriff’s deputies on April 10, according to a sheriff's department news release.
The release said he was arrested after deputies spotted his vehicle, which matched the description of one used in thefts from churches. Rostas had an outstanding felony warrant from Pennsylvania for burglary.
Further investigation connected Rostas to a string of thefts and burglaries from across the U.S. as well as in Canada.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Rostas would allegedly show up at Roman Catholic churches claiming to be "Father Martin," a visiting priest.
Once shown into the rectory where the real priest lived, the imposter would grab cash and valuables and leave.
Fake Priest Arrested in Moreno Valley.https://t.co/1zd9aiMKJB#RiversideSheriff pic.twitter.com/Okpj9jYyM4
— Riverside County Sheriff (@RSO) April 11, 2024
Father Peter Raydar of American Martyrs Roman Catholic Church in Queens, New York, had $900 stolen by a visiting "priest," allegedly Rostas, last month.
Raydar said the thief must have done his homework because he knew the names of people at the parish and "used vocabulary a priest would," according to WABC-TV.
"He's a vulture. ... He knows what he's doing," Raydar said at the time. “It’s very sad that someone is going to come to any house of worship and just violate it.”
The Diocese of Brooklyn said the fake priest also visited other churches in New York, while the Los Angeles Times reported that Rostas is accused of stealing $500 from a church in Houston and more than $1,700 from a church in Oregon.
According to The New York Times, "Father Martin" tried his scam on six Dallas churches in October, but nothing was stolen.
The warrant used to arrest Rostas said that he was suspected of taking $15,500 in cash from a home in Adams County, Pennsylvania in May 2022, according to WGAL-TV. The outlet reported that British police helped identify Rostas.
Rostas also used the alias Moyse Lingurar. At the time of his arrest, he had apparently disguised himself by wearing a hairpiece and dyeing his beard black.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Office news release described the suspect as Romanian.
