Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2008 / Two men charged in copper theft from closed church
Two men charged in copper theft from closed church
by Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published August 29, 2008
Detroit — Two Detroit men were charged last Friday with stealing copper eaves troughs and other roofing materials from the former St. Rita Church in Detroit’s North End.
Detroit Police arrested Mark Paul Peterson, 49, and Bobby Lee Archie, 39, on Aug. 20, after observing them in the act of removing the items from the former church, said Detective Sgt. John Falk.
The former St. Rita Parish buildings are on East State Fair Avenue a couple of blocks east of the Chrysler Freeway (I-75).
Peterson and Archie were arraigned on charges of larceny over $1,000, but less than $20,000, a five-year felony. Peterson was also charged as a habitual offender, second offense, which could potentially double his prison sentence, if convicted. Archie was also charged as a habitual offender, fourth offense, which could potentially triple his sentence, if convicted.
Falk said both suspects have multiple convictions – “like 10 felony convictions” in Archie’s case; nevertheless he said it was unlikely conviction would result in sentences of more than five years for either man.
Bond was set at $10,000/10 percent for each of the men. It was not possible to determine by press time whether the two men had made bail or were still in the Wayne County Jail.
St. Rita Parish merged with St. Bartholomew Parish in 2007 after St. Rita Church was hit several times by vandals, including an incident that involved desecration of the Blessed Sacrament. The merged St. Bartholomew-St. Rita Parish uses the buildings of St. Bartholomew Parish, and the former St. Rita property is up for sale.
While vandalism itself is nothing new, the steep run-ups in prices being paid for certain scrap metals, especially copper, have provided a strong monetary incentive to do damage to old buildings and carry off items of value.
The St. Albertus Historic Site, on St. Aubin at East Canfield in Detroit, was also damaged by copper thieves just two days before the incident at the former St. Rita Church.
St. Albertus was a church of the Archdiocese of Detroit until it was closed back in 1990. Since 1991, it has been operated as a museum by a private group. Occasional liturgical celebrations are permitted by the archdiocese. Frank MacDonnell, director of buildings for the Archdiocese of Detroit, said he was grateful police had caught the St. Rita suspects.
“This continues to be a problem for the archdiocese, no matter how hard we try to secure these buildings. St. Rita and the former Martyrs of Uganda Church (on Rosa Parks Boulevard) have been especially hard hit,” he said.
MacDonnell said thieves were breaking through walls to steal plumbing and electrical wiring; plumbing fixtures were being stolen, often leaving water to gush out and flood basements.
“It’s unbelievable what people are doing. It’s amazing the amount of manpower, time and energy being spent destroying these buildings,” he added.
Mac Donnell said thieves even risk electrocution to get at valuable copper.
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