Man accused of stealing wedding ring from mausoleum, theft at Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center

May 9—Spokane police arrested a serial burglar suspected of breaking into a mausoleum and stealing a wedding ring from a crypt, as well as stealing artwork from Gonzaga's Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center.

Patrick T. Brown, 57, is charged with desecrating a grave, among a dozen other counts of burglary, theft and malicious mischief. He is suspected in a rash of burglaries throughout Spokane that began on March 22, according to court records.

A witness at the Fairmount Memorial Park cemetery, near the Mann-Grandstaff Veterans Affairs Medical Center, noticed broken glass at two personal crypts inside the cemetery's mausoleum on April 6. The witness told investigators they saw Brown flee the scene and chased him through the nearby neighborhood.

Surveillance footage inside of the mausoleum depicted Brown taking what was later identified as a wedding ring from one of the glass crypts, according to court documents.

Police found Brown lying on the lawn of a residence at 2515 Rockwell Ave. Police retrieved the ring from one of his pants pockets. Brown had cuts on his hand that police suspect he got by breaking glass at the mausoleum.

Brown has 23 felony convictions for burglary, theft and other crimes that span decades.

Spokane police also were investigating Brown for a series of recent burglaries, including at a replica model of rooms of Myrtle Woldson's home at Gonzaga's Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center.

Investigators said Brown walked into a room dedicated to the late businesswoman on the second floor of the performing arts center while it was open to the public on the morning of March 22. He later kicked down a secure door to a Myrtle Woldson replica house and stole items valued at about $9,000, according to court documents. The stolen items included antique dishes. Damages from the theft are estimated by the university to be in the thousands of dollars.

Brown also is suspected of breaking into an office in north Spokane and stealing several books of stamps and a computer tablet. Another burglary was reported at an office in the Saranac Hotel , 25 W. Main Ave., on April 3. Employees at the office reported damage to the office door, as well as missing personal property.

A knife with a broken tip was discovered under the front door floor mat of the office, according to court documents.

Another burglary was reported about a week later at the Franklin Park Medical Center, 2220 E. Rowan Ave. Video surveillance showed a man enter the building after hours on April 12, where he allegedly caused several thousand dollars in damage to the building's doors and stole a handful of personal belongings.

A pry tool was discovered under a front door floor mat as well, documents said.

Police said in court documents that the pry tool and the knife with the broken tip were both hidden in advance.

Spokane police forensics experts and crime analysts said they were able to connect Brown with three of the burglaries. Police also said Brown matched the description of the suspect caught on surveillance footage in three of the burglaries. Police believe he is also responsible for the burglary at 25 W. Main Ave., despite the lack of surveillance footage.

Brown is jailed on suspicion of four counts of second-degree burglary, one count of first-degree theft, one count of first-degree malicious mischief, three counts of third-degree theft and three counts of third-degree malicious mischief.