In response to a press launch from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Workplace in Leonardtown, MD, 56-year-old Thomas Campbell Bolling Von Goetz was arrested on December twenty sixth and charged with quite a few crimes — together with Second-Diploma Assault, Disorderly Conduct, Defacing Non secular Property, Non secular Crime In opposition to a Group, Obstructing a Non secular Train, Risk of Mass Violence and Disturbing the Peace.

Von Goetz’s alleged naughty spree started round 5pm on Christmas Eve, when he is accused of getting into the Holy Angels Catholic Church in the neighborhood of Avenue mid-mass.

“He approached the altar and dropped an onion within the aisle, disturbing the peace of these attending,” famous the sheriff in a Fb submit.

Within the feedback on their submit, a pair readers famous The Grinch’s connection to onions — which Jim Carrey’s model of the character eats within the stay motion movie.

Per authorities, a church-goer who adopted Von Goetz out of the mass to “guarantee he was leaving the premises” was then “assaulted” by the suspect, who allegedly started “throwing tangerines” at them.

The person’s erratic conduct allegedly continued later that night at a midnight mass at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Leonardtown, the place Von Goetz is accused of “[disrupting] the service by pouring whiskey into the holy water and threatening to hurt parishioners.”

The sheriff stated the suspect “tried unsuccessfully to strike a number of people with a whiskey bottle” as they escorted him from the constructing, earlier than parishioners detained him till deputies arrived.

He was taken to a close-by hospital for medical analysis, earlier than he was formally arrested and charged on the twenty sixth. Per authorities, he is being held on the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Middle, “pending an look earlier than a District Court docket Commissioner.”