BEREA, Ohio – An 11-year-old got more than a scare after an actor at a popular haunted house attraction stabbed him with a real bowie knife.
The incident occurred at 7 Floors of Hell haunted house in Berea, Ohio on Sept. 18 when an actor stabbed the boy through one of his Croc sandals and cut his toe.
Christopher Pogozelski, 22, the actor who stabbed the boy, brought a real knife to use at the haunted house which is strictly against the rules of the attraction, the attraction’s owner Rodney Geffert told CNN.
Actors are not allowed to carry any real weapons and are only supposed to carry rubber and foam props, according to Geffert.
Pogozelski admitted to police after the incident that bringing a real knife was not a good idea, that the injury was an accident and said he had no intention of hurting anyone.
“He was very apologetic and stayed with the boy the whole time and helped him take his shoe off. It was an accident,” said Geffert.
Paramedics showed up to treat the boy following the incident and after he was bandaged up he said he wanted to finish his trip through the haunted house.
Pogozelski was fired and is being criminally charged with negligent assault as a result of the stabbing.
“We’ve been in business 21 years, we’re a very safe event and it’s just something the actor foolishly did on his own,” Geffert said.