Thomas Campbell Bolling Von Goetz, 56, was arrested and charged with multiple offenses following a sacrilegious rampage on Tuesday

A 56-year-old man accused of pouring whiskey into holy water and assaulting local residents was arrested and faces seven charges in Leonardtown, Md., according to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s

A Maryland man is facing multiple charges after allegedly disrupting two Christmas Eve services in St. Mary's County.

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office said Thomas Campbell Bolling Von Goetz, 56, entered churches in Leonardtown and Avenue, Maryland, as well as assaulted a church-goer on Christmas Eve. Deputies said Von Goetz disrupted the evening Mass at Holy Angels Catholic Church in Avenue by dropping an onion in the isle of the altar.

When they got there, parishioners were holding down a 56-year-old man, accused of impeding the service by dumping whiskey into the holy water and threatening to hurt attendees, deputies said. As church attendees were removing the man from the building, he tried to hit several people with the bottle of whiskey, deputies said.

In Maryland, former Gov. Larry Hogan gave state workers a holiday for Dec. 24 in 2018. In 2022, Hogan gave state employees the day off on Dec. 23, when Christmas Eve fell on a Saturday. Have a news tip? Contact Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at [email protected].

Turning holy water into whiskey has one man in jail tonight. On Christmas Eve, a man disrupted two churches in Maryland. A rather bizarre story that has the sheriff's office on alert for people in need of mental help.

A man is facing multiple charges after disrupting Christmas Eve services at two St. Mary’s County churches, alarming parishioners and endangering public safety. Thomas Campbell Bolling Von Goetz, 56,