Park Worker Arrested in Plundering of Indian Burial Grounds

State park officials said Thursday that the arrest of a camp counselor who is accused of plundering Indian burial grounds has yielded “quite important” archeological finds, including some artifacts that even state museums have not been able to obtain.

The artifacts were seized Wednesday from the Descanso home of Patrick T. Shea, 41, who worked as a teacher’s assistant in the county’s Outdoor Education Program in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.

“This is probably the largest collection of artifacts ever seized from an individual in the state,” said Earl Jones, the information officer at Cuyamaca. “State archeologists knew that some of the artifacts (that were found in the house) existed, but have never been able to obtain them for state collections because they were buried in sacred grounds.”

Most of the artifacts are believed to have come from burial grounds of the Kumeyaays--a tribe that has been indigenous to the San Diego area for nearly 2,000 years, archeologists say. The artifacts included hundreds of arrowheads and pieces of pottery, burial urns--some intact and some partially repaired--and effigies believed to be Mayan and possibly 1,000 years old. Also seized were several dozen metates (the Kumeyaay word for grinding stones)--so many, Jones said, that Shea had been using them as steps leading to his porch.

Authorities also found several buckets of ashes in the back yard, one of which contained what is believed to be a human rib, Jones said.

Ken Hedges, the curator of archeology and ethnography at the Museum of Man, said most Indians would consider the alleged plunders to be a “major desecration.”

“Traditionally, the deceased and all of his personal belongings are buried with the intention that they stay buried,” Hedges said. “Most (Indians) would consider it to be a desecration. That is why archeologists avoid burial grounds like the plague.”

Shea, who is listed as an Indian in county personnel records, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of illegal mutilation of remains, illegal removal of remains from a grave, removing objects of archeological or historical interest, and possession of stolen property, said Sheriff’s Deputy John Weber.

At a hearing Thursday, Shea was released on his own recognizance on the plundering charges but is being held in County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail on suspicion of soliciting a sexual act in a case unrelated to the artifacts case. He is scheduled to be arraigned today.

Jones said Shea had been suspected by park rangers four years ago of robbing burial grounds.

“The authorities suspected that he was in possession of artifacts then,” Jones said. “But rangers could never catch him in the act robbing. They finally abandoned the effort.”

Weber said authorities were alerted to the contents in Shea’s home last week while investigating allegations that Shea had solicited homosexual acts from an 18-year-old transient.

The young man said Shea invited him to his home and asked him to have sex after the two had met in a Pine Valley restaurant. The man told authorities that he ran away from the house when he saw Shea carrying a gun. Sheriff’s deputies who went to Shea’s house did not find a gun, but they did notice two old Indian urns on the fireplace mantle, Weber said.

The deputies reported the urns to the district park supervisor, who told deputies about the previous investigation in which Shea was suspected. A subsequent raid on the house turned up hundreds of artifacts.

Shea had worked as an outdoor program specialist for the county for more than 16 years, and his knowledge of Indian culture and history was considered extensive, said Carol Pugmire, the county’s director of personnel and communications. Pugmire said record checks had revealed no indication of dissatisfaction with Shea’s work and that county authorities were not notified of the previous investigation.

“We are hoping part of this is not true and that the whole thing will be dropped,” Pugmire said. “We have talked with past employees and checked files, and there is not a hint of anything wrong.”

Pugmire said that Shea had been placed on a leave of absence pending the outcome of any trial.

Park officials said there is a “large black market” for ancient artifacts and human remains.

“Some people who deal in mysticism and cults use these things,” Jones said. “But we would not want to speculate right now about the reason for the plunderings. I wouldn’t think a reputable museum would chance getting their reputation stained by dealing with black marketeers.”

Jones said that once the artifacts are catalogued and confirmed as authentic, most would probably go into state collections. The state would also probably comply with tribal requests that some of the artifacts be re-interred, he said.

“We think that the state park system enjoys the confidence of the Indians,” Jones said. “The state policy of handling antiquities has not always been as sensitive as it is today.”