A Florida lawyer has been charged with knocking out an elderly passenger on board a Norwegian Cruise ship, according to authorities.
Married father of two Phillip Ortiz, 38, allegedly attacked the 67-year-old man on the Norwegian Cruise Line Encore after he told him that he couldn’t go down a hallway that was restricted to other passengers at the time.
“Who the f—k are you to tell me what I can and can’t do,” the Miami Lakes attorney shot back and then pushed the victim, according to an arrest report obtained by NBC Miami.
Phillip Ortiz, 38, was arrested Saturday and charged with aggravated battery. MDCR
The victim pushed away Ortiz and his wife, enraging the lawyer, sparking a scuffle, according to police.
Ortiz at one point tripped the victim, who landed on his head, knocking him out with Ortiz’s full weight on him, the documents said.
The unidentified victim didn’t have a pulse, and witnesses began performing CPR on him after Ortiz left.
The cruise ship’s nurses and security were called, with the knocked-out man eventually regaining consciousness and being rushed to University of Miami Hospital.
Phillip Ortiz was on board a Norwegian Cruise Line ship when the alleged assault occurred. NBC 6
Security footage on the cruise ship matched what the victim and witnesses said happened, police said.
Ortiz was arrested Saturday and charged with aggravated battery on a person 65 or older.
The Norwegian Encore cruise ship in St. Thomas. Khairil – stock.adobe.com
He pleaded not guilty on Sunday — and his attorney, Stephan Lopez, blamed the victim, who he claimed had been drunk and blocking Ortiz and his wife from reaching their children.
“The so-called elderly person is bigger [and] stronger than my client,” Lopez told People magazine in a statement.
Phillip Ortiz appeared in court after he was charged with aggravated assault. NBC 6
“[He] was already drunk prior to the ship departing and he instigated and initiated the aggression amongst other things, assaulting my client’s wife and preventing access to their children 6 and 14 by, without authority, closing a door behind them and preventing access.”
Ortiz was released on bond Monday and ordered to stay away from the victim.