A man was arrested after police said he impersonated a priest to gain access to a Queens church, then stole hundreds of dollars from an unlocked bedroom.
Malin Rostas was arrested Thursday and charged with burglary and petit larceny for the incident that occurred on March 3 at the American Martyrs Roman Catholic Church in Bayside, according to police. The 45-year-old Rostas was spotted on camera outside the Queens church before he pulled off the alleged heist.
Father Peter Rayder said Rostas went into the church on Bell Boulevard pretending to be a friendly priest in town to concelebrate, a practice where a visiting priest can officiate with other priests from a different parish. As he was entering, he encountered an 85-year-old senior priest and tricked him, saying he left something in the rectory and needed to retrieve it.
The trusting priest let Rostas inside. As Rayder was in the kitchen, the phony priest went into his bedroom and stole $900, police said. Rayder encountered the alleged thief, but only after he had taken the cash.
"I saw him. I spoke to him. I said, 'What’s going on?' He said 'I’m here to concelebrate,'" Rayder told NBC New York, and then asked Rostas if he had a letter from a bishop.
Rostas said Rayder told him "'Oh it’s in my car. I’ll go get it.' To be never seen again."
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Police said it wasn't the first time Rostas has done such a thing. According to published reports, he had been moving around the country posing as a priest, looking to rob unsuspecting clergy.
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He was also caught doing the same thing at another church in Riverside County — in California. In April, the Moreno Valley Sherriff's office got him, assisted by surveillance photos put out by the NYPD. He was extradited on Thursday.
"I’m glad, I’m happy. I feel bad for the man. But just as I said a couple months ago: After justice is served, there’ll be forgiveness. But you have to do your penance," said Rayder.
It was not known if Rostas would be charged in additional cases elsewhere. Attorney information for Rostas was not immediately clear.
