Police make second arrest in theft from Toronto hospital deathbed and others

TORONTO - Police have arrested a second man in a string of thefts at Toronto hospitals, including one victim who was on her deathbed.

Marcos Marinoni, 26, was arrested Saturday afternoon and is due to appear in court Sunday to face charges.

Marinoni's arrest comes a few days after police charged 29-year-old Isaac Lewkowicz of Toronto.

The thefts gained greater public attention after it was revealed that on Tuesday that $7,000 in jewelry was taken from the hospital room of an 83-year-old woman just moments before she died.

The family of Edna Davis had left the room to get coffee and when they returned, the jewelry was gone.

As the family was filling out a police report, Davis died.

Marinoni was arrested by a suburban police force just north of Toronto after a brief struggle.

"Mr Marinoni tried escape on foot, at which point members of York Regional Police who had him under surveillance, managed to get him under control and arrest him after a brief struggle," Toronto police detective Christopher Higgins told a Toronto radio station.

Police say Marinoni faces charges of theft and conspiracy.

Lewkowicz is charged with theft, possession of heroin and marijuana and failing to comply with probation and is next due in court March 23.

Davis's family says most of the jewelry were charms and necklaces.

Davis, who had brain cancer, had been keeping her jewelry with her because the couple's home had been broken into the last time she was in the hospital.

Police expressed doubt that the arrests would lead to the recovery of the stolen jewelry.

"We're not thinking that the jewelry is going to be found," Higgins said.