A Salvation Army bell ringer is charged in the rape of a woman who says she was attacked in a bathroom at a local shopping mall.

The man who's charged is a registered sex offender.

Police say the incident happened Tuesday afternoon at Waco's Richland Mall where a 19 year old woman was grabbed and forced inside by a man who said he would kill her if she screamed.

Police say she was raped in a mall bathroom.

Salvation Army bell ringer, James Allen Grinstead, 22, is in the Mclennan County jail charged with aggravated sexual assault.

Police arrested him Thursday evening as he manned his post outside the mall.

Salvation army officials say he was hired only recently as a bell ringer and was fired after his arrest.

The Department of Public Safety web site shows that Grinstead is a registred sex offender who was convicted of aggravated sexual assault in 1997 in Waco.

Mall and Salvation Army officials were shocked to learn of the arrest.

"We'd just like to say we are very sypathetic in this situation to the victim and we continue to work with the police department throughout their investigation and helping them in anyway we can, " said Richland Mall General Manager, Kandace Menning.

"If we had any idea we never would have put anyone in harms way," said Major Ernest Branscum of the Salvation Army.

" We are in the business of helping people and that's what we want to do, " he said.

"When we heard about this we were appalled and my heart goes out to the young lady and I just really want to giver her support..we're just so sorry this happend, "said Branscum.

Mall officials say this is an isolated incident and that mall security is at an all time high right now for the Christmas holidays.

Meanwhile, the Salvation Army says it started conducting mandatory background checks on all of new employees on Thursday, after Grinstead's arrest.

Grinstead remains jailed on a 20-thousand dollar bond.