ST. MARY’S COUNTY, Md. (TCN) — Authorities arrested a 56-year-old man on suspicion of disrupting religious services at two local churches on Christmas Eve.
According to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, on Dec. 24, Thomas Von Goetz first went into Holy Angels Catholic Church shortly after 5 p.m. during Mass. He allegedly walked toward the altar and dropped an onion in the aisle, “disturbing the peace of those attending.” An individual reportedly followed the suspect when he left to make sure he left the premises, and Von Goetz allegedly threw tangerines at them outside the church.
Later that evening, Von Goetz entered St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church during midnight Mass, where he allegedly poured whiskey into the holy water and threatened to hurt parishioners. According to the sheriff’s office, church attendees escorted Von Goetz out of the church, and he allegedly tried but failed to hit multiple people with a whiskey bottle.
Parishioners detained the suspect before deputies arrived and transported Von Goetz to MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital for medical evaluation. On Dec. 26, he was arrested on charges of 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.