FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2011
MONROE – An arrest has been made in the theft of a large bell that was recently stolen from St. Mary of the Valley Catholic Church in Monroe. Detectives developed information with the assistance of the King County Sheriff’s Office, which led the investigators to a recycling business in Woodinville who had received 320 pounds of brass pieces on October 28, 2011.
On November 15th a Monroe Police Department detective took Father Bloom and Sister Barbara Geib of the Catholic Church to the recycling center where they identified the remnants of the church bell. The bell had been sawed into smaller pieces and the raised lettering had been visibly grounded down to disguise its origin. It is believed the pieces represent about half of the bell. It is not known at this time where the rest of the bell is. A female and two males brought the bell to the recycling business. The female asked to be paid in cash, which the business refused to do and instead issued a check to the female for $715.20.
On November 16, 2011, detectives contacted the suspect female at her residence in Snohomish County. The suspect stated that her business accepted scrap metal from people to take to recycling businesses and she kept 10% of the profits. She said she didn’t know the people who brought her the bell and did not realize it had been stolen.
Jessica Monahan, age 34, of Snohomish, was taken into custody and transported to Snohomish County Jail to be booked for Trafficking Stolen Property 1st Degree and Possession of Stolen Property 2nd Degree. Detectives continue to follow leads in this investigation and additional arrests may be forthcoming.
Anyone with information regarding this theft is asked to contact the Monroe Police Department at 360-794-6300. Anonymous information may be left on the Department’s tip line at 360-863-4600.
For additional information on this media release, contact Administrative Director Debbie Willis at 360-794-6300.
