A 48-year-old man with a history of campus crime allegedly stole a wallet from a paraplegic man Sunday in the Fairview-University Medical Center, according to a police report.
Police charged Patrick Domarus with third degree burglary, a felony offense, for stealing the wallet from the patient’s room as the patient looked on.
University Detective Charles Miner said Domarus was under a no-trespass order from the hospital until Sept. 20.
“He’s a chronic thief,” Miner said. “Normally a person would be charged with theft for that crime, but he had no legal right to be in the hospital.”
Domarus allegedly walked into the patient’s room and took the wallet from a pair of pants in the closet.
“The sad part of the story is that the patient was paralyzed.” Miner said. “He was sitting in the bed helpless as this guy went through his belongings.”
Marvin White, listed as a witness in the report, told police he saw Domarus standing next to an open purse on a table in a different room.
According to the criminal complaint, hospital security detained and searched Domarus. Security staff found in Domarus’ backpack a brown leather wallet belonging to the paraplegic patient.
Police also charged Domarus with theft for stealing money from an employee of the James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History on June 20.
Nina Shepherd, public relations director for the museum, said a staff member reported $47 missing from her purse. Police apprehended Domarus in connection with the theft 30 minutes after the woman alerted police, she said.
Minneapolis Police Department records indicate Domarus’ criminal record dates back to 1980. His charges range from felony counts of fraud, burglary, theft and making terroristic threats to misdemeanor charges of lurking, possession of controlled substances and assault.
“He has a lengthy criminal record; hopefully that will ensure he gets a little more punishment,” Miner said.
If convicted, Domarus faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

In other police news:
ù A Pizza Hut employee struck a pedestrian with the side mirror of her car Thursday, July 16, along Washington Avenue Southeast.
Elise Droll, 23, hit Carroll Mills, 44, with her car as Mills entered the crosswalk from Harvard Street Southeast near Moos Tower.
Police did not press charges against Droll or issue her a traffic citation.
Bill Harrison, listed as a witness on the report, told police that Mills was not paying attention to on-coming traffic as she entered the crosswalk. He said she was looking down and reading some papers as she entered the intersection.
Droll said she could not comment because Pizza Hut’s policy prohibits her from talking to reporters about the accident.
Jay Allison, director of public relations for Pizza Hut, said management typically carries out an internal investigation of accidents involving employees.
Police said Mills sustained minor injuries to her lower back and right knee from the accident. Medical emergency staff transported Mills to the Fairview-University Medical Center.
Staff at the hospital treated Mills on July 16 but did not admit her as a patient.
Mills, a resident of Kansas City, Mo., said she did not want to talk about the accident.
Droll experienced bleeding from pregnancy complications, but denied medical assistance, according to the report.

ù Since July 1, Minneapolis Police have been tempting potential bike thieves downtown; neighborhoods near the University may be their next target.
Minneapolis Police Inspector Randall Johnson heads up the effort to crack down on the number of thefts. Police leave the “bike bait” out and observe passersby with a video camera.
Johnson said police might start setting bicycle traps in Dinkytown or the Como neighborhood.
“We don’t place the bikes arbitrarily,” Johnson said. “We place them in areas that have experienced a lot of problems with bike thefts and burglaries.”
If an individual grabs the unlocked bike, police can press felony charges because the bikes are worth at least $500.
To date, one juvenile and six adults have been arrested for attempting to steal the decoys.