FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A man arrested in the Bailey’s Crossroads area of Fairfax County after being found unconscious in a stolen truck is the suspect of several larcenies at churches around the D.C. area, according to police.
On Tuesday, June 28, Fairfax County Police officers responded to St. Mary of Sorrows Catholic Church near Ox Road in the Burke area for a report of a theft from a car in the parking lot. Police say a man stole a purse from the car and was using credit cards found inside at nearby stores.
On Monday, July 4, the man returned to the church and stole from two donation boxes. Police say at least one check stolen from the donation boxes was cashed.
The suspect was captured on security camera footage, which was shared with other police departments in the area and detectives from Montgomery County identified him as 61-year-old Richard Thomas Phelan of Maryland. The Montgomery County Police Department had already been investigating Phelan for similar incidents in the county.
At 10:50 p.m. on Thursday, July 14, Fairfax Police received a report of an unresponsive man in a white truck on the 5700 block of Columbia Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads. Officers found Phelan in the truck, which is believed to have been stolen in Montgomery County. Phelan was treated by medics and arrested.
Phelan has been identified as a suspect in several other larcenies as churches and other businesses around Fairfax and believe he could be responsible for even more. He has been charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle, possession of burglary tools, credit card theft, credit card fraud, identify theft and petit larceny.
Detectives are still working through security camera footage and expect there to be more charges. Anyone with information related to Phelan or these incidents is asked to call Fairfax Police detectives at 703-277-2361.
