Some holiday antics are downright unforgivable. A 56-year-old Maryland man found himself on both the naughty list and behind bars after wreaking havoc at two Catholic churches on Christmas Eve, allegedly spiking holy water with whiskey and pelting parishioners with tangerines.
Thomas Campbell Bolling Von Goetz began his unholy escapade at Holy Angels Catholic Church in Avenue, Maryland, disrupting Mass by dropping an onion in the aisle as he marched toward the altar. When a parishioner followed him outside, Von Goetz retaliated by throwing tangerines before fleeing the scene, according to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office.
Hours later, at midnight Mass at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Leonardtown, Von Goetz escalated his behavior. He allegedly poured whiskey into the holy water and threatened churchgoers while brandishing his liquor bottle. Parishioners, fed up with the sacrilegious display, wrestled him out of the sanctuary and restrained him until deputies arrived.
The rogue reveler was taken to a hospital for evaluation before being officially arrested days later. Von Goetz now faces a slew of charges, including second-degree assault, defacing religious property, threats of mass violence, and disturbing the peace.
Churchgoers were shocked by the events but relieved that the suspect was subdued. “It’s sad someone would target our faith on such a holy night,” one attendee remarked.
Von Goetz, flashing a sinister grin in his mugshot, is unlikely to find forgiveness anytime soon—especially with a whiskey bottle as his weapon of choice.
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