Holy water
A man was arrested on Thursday for allegedly engaging in "disorderly conduct" at two churches in St. Mary's County, Maryland, including pouring whiskey into holy water, police said.
According to the police report, Thomas Campbell Bolling Von Goetz, 56, broke into Holy Angels Catholic Church in Avenue, Maryland, during a Christmas Eve Mass. The man allegedly approached the altar and dropped an onion in the aisle, "disturbing the peace" of the congregation.
Later, when a citizen followed Von Goetz to make sure he left the church, he assaulted him by throwing tangerines at him, police said.
The report from the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office also revealed that later that night Von Goetz interrupted the Midnight Mass service at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Leonardtown, Maryland.
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That church was where he poured whiskey into the holy water, and threatened to harm parishioners, police said.
Then, as churchgoers escorted him out of the building, he unsuccessfully attempted to hit several people with a whiskey bottle, police said.
Parishioners detained Von Goetz until officers arrived; he was then taken to MedStar St. Mary's Hospital for a medical evaluation, according to the police report.
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The man was finally arrested on Thursday and faces charges of second-degree assault, obstruction of a religious exercise and religious offense against a group, among others.
Von Goetz is currently being held at the St. Mary's County Police Department, the authorities said.
