The Region : State Employee Arrested in Relics Theft

A valuable collection of Indian artifacts was found in the home of a state park employee who had allegedly disturbed ancient burial sites, San Diego County sheriff’s deputies said. The arrest of Patrick Thomas Shea, a 41-year-old camp counselor at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, followed a search by deputies of his home in Descanso and confiscation of the collection, which was made up of objects from local grave sites and from sites in Central and South America. Shea was booked for investigation of possession of stolen property, illegally removing remains and disturbing native American Indian burial sites. He was freed on $10,000 bail. John W. Foster, senior supervisor for the state park cultural resource management unit, said the recovered artifacts make up one of the largest such seizures in the state.