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Florida Attorney Arrested After Alleged Assault Leaves 67-Year-Old Cruise Passenger Unconscious

The article reports that 38-year-old Phillip Ortiz was arrested and charged with battery on a person 65 or older after an alleged altercation aboard the Norwegian Encore on Nov. 22. The victim reportedly fell, struck his head and lost consciousness; fellow passengers administered CPR and ship medical staff responded. Witness statements and CCTV are said to corroborate the victim's account. Ortiz has pleaded not guilty; his lawyer says Ortiz acted in self-defense and alleges the older passenger was intoxicated and provoked the incident.

04:57 AM, 11/25/2025Society
Florida Attorney Arrested After Alleged Assault Leaves 67-Year-Old Cruise Passenger Unconscious

A Florida attorney has been arrested and charged with a felony after an alleged assault aboard the Norwegian Encore left an elderly passenger unconscious, according to court records and law enforcement reports.

Incident and Charges

Miami-Dade criminal records identify 38-year-old Phillip Ortiz of Miami Lakes as the defendant in a battery case filed under Florida's statute protecting people 65 and older. The arrest affidavit states the confrontation occurred on Nov. 22 while the ship was docked in Miami.

What Allegedly Happened

The affidavit says Ortiz and an older male passenger became involved in a verbal dispute that escalated into a physical altercation in a hallway that had not yet been opened to passengers. According to the victim’s account, Ortiz pushed him after an exchange of words. The report further alleges that Ortiz re-entered the hallway, charged at the man, and the victim fell, striking his head and losing consciousness.

Other passengers reportedly performed CPR until the ship's nurse and security staff responded. The arrested paperwork states that witness statements and closed-circuit security footage corroborate the victim’s version of events.

Legal Proceedings and Defense

Ortiz was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami. His attorney, Stephan Lopez, entered a not-guilty plea and disputed the account of events. In a written statement, Lopez described Ortiz as acting in self-defense and claimed the older passenger was intoxicated, physically larger and initiated aggression.

"The so-called elderly person is bigger [and] stronger than my client," Lopez wrote. "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 by, without authority, closing a door behind them and preventing access."

Lopez also said a judge found no aggravated felony and noted a self-defense claim in the case. The allegations and the defense's assertions are part of ongoing legal proceedings.

Statement from the Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line said Ortiz was arrested after assaulting a 67-year-old guest who was transported to a shoreside hospital for further treatment. The company said it maintains a zero-tolerance policy for violence and that guest and crew safety is a top priority.

The investigation remains active and the criminal case will proceed through the Miami-Dade court system.

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