A passenger was arrested after an alleged assault on an aged man aboard the Norwegian Encore, in line with authorities. The incident occurred on Saturday, November 22, and the passenger, Phillip Ortiz, 38, was arrested the identical day.
Ortiz has been charged with aggravated battery on an individual 65 or older, in line with an arrest report obtained by NBC Miami. The sufferer, 67, was additionally a passenger aboard the ship.
Based on the arrest report, the sufferer informed Ortiz and his spouse they weren’t allowed to enter a hallway as a result of it wasn’t open to passengers. Ortiz responded, “Who the [expletive] are you to inform me what I can and might’t do,” after which pushed the sufferer.
A scuffle between the three ensued. The sufferer went into the hallway and closed the door to get away from Ortiz. Based on the arrest report, Ortiz adopted the person into the hallway and the 2 males bought in a bodily altercation. Ortiz tripped the sufferer, who fell and hit his head with the total weight of Ortiz on him.
The sufferer misplaced consciousness and passengers within the space carried out CPR on him whereas they waited for ship medical and safety employees to reach. Ortiz reportedly didn’t stick with the sufferer after he misplaced consciousness. The sufferer was taken to a neighborhood hospital in Miami.
Ortiz’s lawyer, Stephan Lopez, submitted a plea of not responsible on behalf of Ortiz. Lopez informed PEOPLE, “My shopper is a VIP visitor and Norwegian had an obligation to guard him and his household, however it didn’t.”
How Norwegian Cruise Line failed to guard Ortiz is unclear presently.
Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed the incident occurred in an announcement to PEOPLE, “On Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025 whereas the ship was docked in Miami, Mr. Ortiz was arrested by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Workplace after assaulting a 67-year previous male visitor who was later transported to a shoreside hospital for additional remedy. We’ve got zero-tolerance for violence of any type on our ships and are dedicated to offering a protected cruising expertise for all aboard. The protection and safety of our visitors and crew stay a prime precedence.”
Ortiz, a lawyer admitted in Florida since 2012, was launched on bond. The FBI is reportedly investigating the incident.
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