A Florida man working as a part-time Salvation Army bell ringer is facing criminal charges after a violent outburst while wielding a donation kettle on Dec. 23, police say.
Steven Pavlik was booked into the Martin County Jail on charges of aggravated assault and resisting arrest. https://t.co/NcHKBbWQjK
— KKTV 11 News (@KKTV11News) December 27, 2025
Steven Pavlik, 63-year-old stationed outside of a Publix near Fort Lauderdale, appeared to be intoxicated. Pavlik was reportedly acting aggressively toward shoppers as they passed his station, creating a "major disturbance."
His behavior caused a store manager to confront Pavlik, who then became violent. Pavlik then grabbed the iconic Salvation Army donation tripod and “attempted to impale” the store manager, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office revealed on Facebook.
The store manager was not injured in the incident.
“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 agency said. “Instead of spreading holiday cheer, Pavlik acted more like bad santa.”
Pavlik managed to flee before law enforcement arrived on scene. Deputies were able to locate Pavlik at his residence where he was taken into custody.
Pavlik was booked into the Martin County Jail on the same day, according to CBS News. He was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill and resisting or obstructing an officer without violence.
Pavlik’s total bond for the charges has been set at $3,000.