Documents: Priest Told Girl, ‘come On, Cutie’

KOIN
April 14, 2014

http://koin.com/2014/04/14/documents-priest-told-girl-come-cutie/

The 14-year-old girl allegedly lured by a Catholic priest from Scappoose became so frightened she ran to a nearby daycare for help when it happened in early March.

That information is found in court documents obtained by KOIN 6 News in the case against Fr. Michael Patrick.

The alleged incident happened March 10 near Burton Elementary School in Vancouver. Documents said the girl told authorities Fr. Patrick stopped next to her and then continued to follow her down the street. He kept trying to coax her into his car and at one point said, “Come on, Cutie,” the documents said.

That night, Vancouver police spoke with the priest. Though the girl identified him at the time, he was not arrested.

Officials told KOIN 6 News he wasn’t arrested at that point because police may not have had probable cause then.

But detectives with the Children’s Justice Center continued to investigate and after they searched Fr. Patrick’s home had enough evidence to take him into custody.

The police confirmed his car and a blue shirt in the closet that matched the girl’s description were found during the search, documents said.

Fr. Patrick was arrested in Los Angeles on his way back from a trip to Australia. He remains in jail at this time.

He’s been in the Archdiocese of Portland since 1998:

St. Alexander, Cornelius 1998-99

St. Patrick, Portland 1999-2001

St. Edward, Keizer 2001-03

St. Phillip Benzi, Redland 2004-10

Holy Trinity, Bandon 2010-12

St. Wencelaus, Scappoose, 2012 – present

KOIN 6 News will continue to follow this story.