Police have arrested a man who they say posed as a priest to commit serial thefts across the country, from Southern California to Texas and New York.

Malin Rostas, a 45-year-old New York resident with an outstanding felony burglary warrant in Pennsylvania, was arrested on April 10 by Riverside County sheriffs deputies after investigators say Rostas had tried to steal from a church in the Moreno Valley, about 60 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

Rostas was arrested on the outstanding warrant and charged on Tuesday with intent to defraud and stealing stolen property in connection with the Moreno Valley incident, according to court records obtained by USA TODAY on Wednesday.

Rostas has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Mike Flory, declined to comment on his client’s behalf on Wednesday.

Authorities say that Rostas is behind a series of thefts at churches across the country and posed as a visiting priest to gain access to private areas.

Rostas’ ties to New York, Texas

In October, a person calling himself “Father Martin” and identifying himself as a visiting priest visited six parishes in the Dallas area and was able to steal several hundred dollars from a parish in Houston, Diocese of Dallas spokeswoman Katy Kiser told the Catholic News Agency.

Rostas is accused of taking $500 from a priest’s wallet at the Houston church, according to the New York Times. “He claimed he was a visiting priest from Chicago and that he had been staying in the rectory and left his keys in one of the rooms,” a Houston police spokesperson told the Times.

Rostas is also accused of stealing $6,000 worth of jewelry from a woman at the Holy Name Retreat Center in Memorial Villages, Texas, according to KHOU-TV, and $900 from a person at American Martyrs Church in New York.

A one-bedroom, one-bathroom property with less than 400 square feet in Cupertino, California, has been listed for $1.7 million.

But the property has generated considerable interest, according to listing agent Faviola Perez, with about eight buyers raising their hand to acquire the property.

Perez told SFGATE that the unit is already under contract for “considerably over asking.” She would not reveal what that price was. The Zillow estimates puts the potential value at about $1.825 million.

Newsweek contacted Perez for comment via email on Wednesday.

The property is at 10036 Carmen Road in what its Zillow listing says is the “heart of Cupertino” with 384 square feet of residential space.

“Nestled at the end of a cul-de-sac, this property presents a rare blend of charm, potential, and premier location within a district renowned for its top-tier Cupertino schools,” the listing said. “While compact, this property is a powerhouse of possibilities. Whether you envision constructing your dream home, expanding the existing structure, or embracing a minimalist lifestyle, the potential is boundless.”

Perez told SFGATE that part of the “possibilities” the property offers is due to the size of the lot it sits on. The Zillow listing points out the total size of the property is 7,841 square feet.

“[The] lot itself offers ample space to bring your vision to life, surrounded by $4M-$5M homes, highlighting the exceptional value and investment potential at hand,” the listing said.

“It is more than likely that the structure will come down and a new home will be built in its place,” Perez told SFGATE.

Typical home values in Cupertino are about $3 million, according to Zillow, which is up close to 11 percent from a year ago.

One key selling point for the property appears to be that it is close to some of the area’s tech companies, which may explain why its valued so highly.

“Enhancing its appeal, the property boasts close proximity to major commute routes, making it ideal for professionals seeking easy access to Silicon Valley’s tech hub,” the Zillow listing said.

It also promises a plethora of hiking trails for nature lovers.

“Outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate the nearby trails and parks, offering abundant opportunities for recreation and relaxation amidst nature,” the listing added.

The unit, described as a single-family residence, was built in 1948 and is a one-story home.

“This property is more than just a home; it’s a canvas waiting for your personal touch,” the listing said. “Don’t miss out on this exceptional opportunity to own a piece of Cupertino’s highly sought after real estate market.”

Torah scrolls, once belonging to Jewish temples throughout Czechoslovakia, were reunited at Temple Beth Tikvah in Fullerton as the synagogue celebrated its 60th anniversary.

On loan to 19 Southern California temples, the scrolls were displayed after a ceremony that offered congregants from each synagogue messages about hope, history, and heartache.

The one-day event also commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Memorial Scrolls Trust, which serves as the guardian to more than 1,500 Czech Torahs that survived the Nazi occupation of the region and later the shuttering of synagogues under regimes that stifled the Jewish faith.

“What a wonderful celebration to share,” Jeffrey Ohrenstein, a London resident and chairman of the Trust, said at Sunday’s event showcasing the collection.

In 1964, the scrolls, each containing five handwritten books of the Hebrew bible, were donated to the Westminster Synagogue in London where the Trust was formed.

“Since then we have been distributing (them) to communities, organizations and synagogues around the world,” Ohrenstein said. “We’ve allocated some 1,400 scrolls to 1,300 communities and 1,000 of those are in North America.”

The Fullerton temple has three such scrolls, but only one of them is “kosher,” or in perfect condition to be used in an official manner, Temple Beth Tikvah Assistant Rabbi Miriam Van Raalte said.

Most of the Czech Torahs are from the 18th and 19th centuries, she said, “But there are some that are much older.”

“The use of these scrolls, either for reading in public or for using symbolically for show, evokes memories of Jewish history, the struggle for survival, and the continuity of the Jewish people,” said Van Raalte. “We let the congregation know that this is a scroll that faced extinction.”

During the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, the scrolls and other Jewish artifacts were taken to the Jewish Museum in Prague, which had been established in 1906 and became a warehouse of treasures collected by the Germans. The vast inventory “was catalogued by Jews who were deported to concentration camps once the work was finished,” according to the Trust. “Unfortunately very few of them survived.”

Ohrenstein told the story of an art dealer who was looking to buy a gift for his wife nearly two decades after World War II. The dealer was brought to a destroyed synagogue outside of Prague. There he was shown a damp warehouse “full of Torah” scrolls.

Philanthropist Ralph Yablon bought the scrolls after learning of their existence from the art dealer. He then donated them to the Westminster Synagogue in London.

The synagogue’s rabbi addressed dozens of congregants at Temple Beth Tikvah via recorded video on Sunday.

Following the ceremony, the gathered Torahs were displayed on long bridge tables. People looked closely at the Hebrew lettering and gently ran their fingers over the worn wooden dowels holding the scrolls. The wooden pieces are call the atzei chayim, meaning “tree of life.”

Pedro and Laura Alamilla of Downey visited with their three children.

As they observed the Torahs, they were overcome with emotion, Pedro Alamilla saying, “We’re at a loss for words.”