Florida bell ringer allegedly tries to ‘impale’ store manager with donation tripod while drunk

A Florida man working as a Salvation Army bell ringer for the holidays was arrested Christmas week, after he allegedly attempted to “impale” the manager of a grocery store with his donation kettle tripod, according to officials. 

Steven Pavlik, 63, was arrested at his home this week and charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest after he fled the scene after allegedly drunkenly attacking the manager of a Publix in Stuart, Florida. 

Pavlik had been stationed as a bell ringer outside the store.

MURDER IN SMALL-TOWN AMERICA: THE CRIMES THAT TORE QUIET COMMUNITIES APART IN 2025

“63-year-old Steven Pavlik tried his hand at some part-time Christmas charity work — however, drunk ringing, belligerent tidings and assault took him from bell duty to booking blotter after a full-blown charity tirade,” the Martin County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Christmas Eve Facebook post. 

The store manager confronted Pavlik after he allegedly got drunk on duty and began “aggressively” harassing passersby, causing a “major disturbance” outside the store, according to the sheriff’s office. 

TEXAS FATHER RESCUES KIDNAPPED DAUGHTER BY TRACING HER PHONE’S LOCATION, SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS

Pavlik then allegedly attacked the store manager with his donation kettle tripod.

“When the Publix manager came outside to speak to Pavlik, he became violent and attempted to impale the manager with the donation kettle tripod,” the sheriff’s office wrote.

The manager wasn’t injured during the attack, the sheriff’s office said. 

Pavlik fled the scene, but deputies later located him at his residence, where he was taken into custody.

Publix and the Salvation Army did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.