(Grey News) After interfering with Christmas Eve services at two churches in Maryland, including by pouring alcohol into the holy water, a man was taken into custody.
Thomas Campbell Bolling Von Goetz, 56, entered the Holy Angels Catholic Church during mass on Christmas Eve just after five o’clock, according to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office.
According to deputies, he disturbed the quiet of the other attendees by dropping an onion in the aisle as he got closer to the altar.
Von Goetz was seen assaulting someone by hurling tangerines after a witness followed him out of the chapel to make sure he was going.
Von Goetz allegedly interrupted midnight mass at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church later that evening by threatening to hurt parishioners and dumping whiskey into the holy water.
According to deputies, he tried to strike many people with a whiskey bottle as churchgoers took him out of the building.
Von Goetz was able to be held until deputies showed up. After that, he was brought to a hospital for examination.
After being taken into custody, von Goetz was accused of second-degree assault, disorderly conduct, religious offense against a group, defacing religious property, disrupting a religious practice, threatening mass violence, and disturbing the peace.
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