EDMONDS – Religious artwork stolen from Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Edmonds was found Sunday in Canada, one day after officers arrested the suspected thief.
“I am very, very grateful. They are priceless items, and I’m anxious to get them back to the church,” said the Rev. Kenneth Haydock, who owned two of the stolen pieces.
Police arrested Michael A. Stokes, 47, Saturday after he allegedly caused an unrelated hit-and-run crash in downtown Edmonds.
Investigators reportedly found Stokes’ fingerprints on a cash box inside Holy Rosary and suspect he played a role in stealing artwork valued at $15,000 Feb. 21, Edmonds Detective Alan Hardwick said.
Police interviewed Stokes at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on Saturday, where he said police could find the artwork in a Toyota Camry impounded by Seattle police, Hardwick said.
The car was seized after Seattle police arrested Stokes Feb. 22 on suspicion of car theft. Officers saw the religious artwork inside the car but did not know it was stolen, Seattle officer Sean Whitcomb said.
The car belonged to a Canadian woman who was visiting Mount Vernon when the Toyota was stolen, Hardwick said. The woman’s insurance company had it towed to its office in Coquitlam, B.C.
Hardwick went to Canada on Sunday to retrieve the artwork.
“I knew how important it was to go and get them,” he said. “When I got there, they were standing there scratching their heads, saying ‘What are we going to do with these?’”
The stolen art included a mosaic of Jesus Christ that Haydock purchased at the Vatican mosaic factory in Rome. A 24-inch Madonna and child statue also was taken from a pedestal in the church entryway.
Two icons also were pulled from the walls. One shows the death of Jesus’ mother, Mary, and her ascension into heaven. The second portrays the transfiguration of Christ.
That icon had some minor damage, but the others were intact, Hardwick said.
The artwork will be returned to the church “as soon as possible,” he said.
Police suspect Stokes also stole money from three donation boxes at the church and a cloth from the church altar.
Stokes caused a disturbance at the church five days before the burglary and had been ordered by police not to return there, Edmonds Sgt. Jeff Jones said.
Stokes, who is homeless, had previously received help from the church, Jones said.
He returned there Saturday in a stolen pickup. A priest recognized him and called police, Haydock said.
Edmonds police say they responded to a hit-and-run accident involving Stokes about 10:40 a.m. in the 1000 block of Fifth Avenue S.
Officers found the pickup he was driving nearby and tried to stop it, but it raced off, coming within a foot of hitting an Edmonds officer.
After hitting more parked cars, the truck entered Mountlake Terrace and hit a guardrail at the onramp to I-5 at 236th Street SW, police said.
Stokes was taken to Harborview Medical Center for treatment, then booked into the Snohomish County Jail on Sunday.
Stokes was arrested on suspicion of second-degree burglary, first-degree possession of stolen property, attempting to elude police and hit-and-run.
A judge on Monday ordered him held on $25,000 bail.
Reporter Katherine Schiffner: 425-339-3436 or schiffner@heraldnet.com.
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