Police: Thief of 3 World Series rings made capture easy

After three World Series rings were stolen yesterday from a Phillies office, police arrested a mask-wearing fan who was kicked out of the game earlier for being rowdy.

Matthew Mervine, 22, of Berlin Borough made detectives' work easy, because, not only was he videotaped stealing the rings, he had just left his real name, address and phone numbers on a job application, police said.

The rings were not the fancy $11,000 pieces of jewelry given to players, coaches and more than 200 employees.

Valued at about $1,100 each, the three rings were in the office to be sent on to three Phillies scouts.

Apparently, Mervine, who wore a rubber skull mask to yesterday's game against the Rockies, found his way to the Phillies offices after being kicked out of the game with other fans who were being too boisterous, police said.

He'd been wearing a skull mask and calling himself "Rockie Killer."

In the office, he put his mask and rally towel down on a desk, but after picking them up, he also picked up the envelope with the rings, police said.

He was arrested at his home at 24 Coleman Rd. in Berlin, and all three rings were recovered.

Police said Mervine has been arrested before, on drug and carjacking charges.

In late August, an $11,000 ring belonging to John Brazer, the team's director of fun and games, was taken from a front-office bathroom by a janitor, who was later arrested on theft charges.

Brazer had left the ring in the men's room, but when he returned to retrieve it, it was gone.

The janitor allegedly hid it at the stadium.

Thirty-seven rings were presented during on-field ceremonies in April, almost all of them to players and coaches. Another 275 were given to Phillies employees.

Each of those 14-karat rings had 103 diamonds, one for each win in 2008, including 11 in the playoffs. Total weight of diamonds: 3.84 carats. A ruby inlay adds red to a big letter "P" for the "Phillies."