An alleged thief is accused of stealing a Bible that was in a vehicle that Butler police say he broke into at the Butler Memorial Hospital parking garage earlier this month,

But Jacob A. Martin-Rivers, 23, of Oakland Township, possibly didn't know what he was allegedly taking. The owner told police that the Bible was in a case, which resembled a purse.

Police Tuesday charged Martin-Rivers with misdemeanor counts of theft from a vehicle and attempted theft from a vehicle, and a summary charge of criminal mischief.

The defendant is already facing unrelated charges in two other cases — one for allegedly throwing a brick and other items at a firefighter and pulling a knife on firefighters and ambulance medics called to a blaze about 11 a.m. June 5 at the Route 38 home where he was living.

While state police were looking for Martin-Rivers in connection with the incident at the fire, city police said they were called shortly before 3 p.m. for a report of a man trying to enter vehicles at the doctors' parking lot at the hospital.

An employee told officers that the same suspect had been seen around several other vehicles at the parking garage. Police later looked at surveillance footage from the hospital and they identified Martin-Rivers as the suspect.

Police said they also subsequently spoke to the owners of two vehicles that had been entered and ransacked. One vehicle driver's side window had been broken and there was a large rock on the driver's seat.

The owner of that vehicle told police about her missing Bible in the case. The case looked like a purse, the victim said, leading her to believe “this is why it was taken,” documents said.

Argument at restaurant

A short time after the report at the hospital, city police were called to the Monroe Hotel on East Jefferson Street for a disorderly man arguing with the owner.

Officers got there and found the suspect across the street. One of the officers recognized him as Martin-Rivers and he was taken into custody.

The hotel owner was also there. He told police that the defendant had been at his restaurant and bar begging customers for money, according to charging documents. When the owner ordered him to leave, Martin-Rivers became angry.

He is accused of throwing a plastic bag of change, mostly quarters and totaling nearly $20, at the victim. The bag of coins hit the owner in the back of the head, causing pain and a minor injury, documents said.

Police on June 8 charged Martin-Rivers with misdemeanor counts of simple assault and reckless endangerment, and summary counts of public drunkenness and panhandling in that incident.

Martin-Rivers' preliminary hearings in both city cases are set July 27.

Incident at house fire

On Tuesday, he waived his preliminary hearing at the office of District Judge Lewis Stoughton in Chicora on felony and other charges stemming from the incident at the fire that destroyed the home where he was living with his girlfriend.

Troopers said Unionville volunteer firefighter Mark Lauer was first at the two-story house, which had flames and smoke coming from it. Lauer arrived in his personal vehicle and he identified himself as a firefighter, telling the defendant to get out of the home due to the fire.

Martin-Rivers, however, refused to stay out of the home, authorities said, as he apparently tried to save personal belongings.

He is accused of grabbing a brick and a case of Gatorade bottles, and throwing them at Lauer.

Later, police said, he brandished a knife at Gary Wulff, chief of the Oneida Valley Volunteer Fire Department, who got to the house shortly after Lauer. Police allege he also threatened Lauer and two Butler Ambulance Service emergency medical technicians while holding the knife

The blaze was under control by 11:30 a.m., authorities said. The fire was not believed to be suspicious.

The next day, state police arrested Martin-Rivers on two counts of aggravated assault and charges of terroristic threats, reckless endangerment, obstructing emergency services and disorderly conduct.

He remains in the Butler County Prison on $11,000 bond.