A Salvation Army bell ringer got drunk during his volunteer shift and attacked the manager of a Florida Publix he was collecting money in front of on Christmas Eve.
The rogue “Santa’s Helper” — 63-year-old Steven Pavlik — was “belligerent” and “aggressively confronting people walking by” during his shift, which is when the store’s manager got involved, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office says. When the manager came outside to speak to Pavlik, “he became violent” and allegedly “attempted to impale” him with the donation kettle tripod.
He then fled the scene, but deputies tracked him down to his residence, where he was cuffed and then transported to the Martin County Jail. He has been charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest. He has since been released, online records show.
Luckily, the victim was not physically injured — although his Christmas spirit may have been.
