How hard would it be to steal a host? Just walk into any Catholic church on any sunday, stand in line and they will give you one. I guess if they gave him one it wouldn't be stealing, would it still count?
I don’t know. Once, at a mass at a monastery, I realized I was going to choke on a host, and quickly left the chapel into the hallway, where I coughed it into my hand and then consumed it immediately.
I wiped my eyes, and there was one of the monks beside me. I suspect that there is always someone watching.
I would think that most, if not all, churches are on the alert for this, due to the number of Satanic cults or others who would profane the Host, if they could.