(Gray News) – A man in Maryland was arrested after he disrupted two churches’ Christmas Eve services, including pouring whiskey into the holy water.
The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office said 56-year-old Thomas Campbell Bolling Von Goetz entered the Holy Angels Catholic Church shortly after 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve during mass.
Deputies said as he approached the altar, he dropped an onion in the aisle, disturbing the peace of others attending.
A witness followed Von Goetz as he exited the church to make sure he was leaving and saw him then assault another person by throwing tangerines.
Later that night, during midnight mass at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Von Goetz allegedly disrupted the service by pouring whiskey into the holy water and threatening to harm parishioners.
As church attendees escorted him from the building, deputies said he attempted to hit several individuals with a whiskey bottle.
They were able to detain Von Goetz until deputies arrived. He was then taken to a hospital for medical evaluation.
Von Goetz was arrested and charged with second-degree assault, disorderly conduct, defacing religious property, religious crime against a group, obstructing a religious exercise, threat of mass violence and disturbing the peace.
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