Photo: Getty Images
An Arizona man is now behind bars after allegedly exposing himself in an effort to baptize himself in a church's fountain, azcentral reports. It all went down Sunday (April 16) shortly before 2:45 p.m. at the One Life Church in Mesa. Police responded to a call about a man who was naked in the church's baptism fountain.
The man, later ID'ed as Jeremiah Sykes, 20, was reportedly told to leave the premises several times, but he ignored them and proceeded to wander around the property wearing nothing but a blanket. Police confronted Sykes, who had outstanding warrants, and took him into custody. He told police he was "baptizing himself" and left the property when he was first asked.
Officers recommended Sykes be charged with indecent exposure and criminal trespassing for the incident. When he arrived to be processed, however, he refused to take a mugshot and also allegedly assaulted two officers. He was asked to remove his socks as part of the booking process, but threw one of the socks at an officer. When officers began to approach the man, he punched an officer in the head. When another officer tried to intervene, Sykes punched him in the face, too, court documents state.
One of the officers was hospitalized "after receiving a cut from a punch," the news outlet reports.
Sykes now faces multiple charges, including one count of indecent exposure, criminal trespassing, resisting arrest and two counts of aggravated assault.