A shocking incident unfolded on a cruise ship sailing towards Alaska, as a worker from South Africa was arrested for attacking a woman and two security guards with scissors on board the vessel.
The man, identified as 35-year-old Ntando Sogoni, is facing charges of assault with a dangerous weapon within maritime and territorial jurisdiction, as per the U.S. attorney's office. No attorney has been listed for him in online court records.
According to an affidavit from FBI Special Agent Matthew Judy, the accused had recently been hired by a cruise line and had just joined the ship, Norwegian Encore, in Seattle before the disturbing incident occurred. The ship was en route to Alaska with stops planned in Juneau and British Columbia.
The altercation took place west of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, while the vessel was on its way to Alaska. Ship personnel witnessed the man attempting to deploy a lifeboat late in the evening on Sunday, leading to security intervening and taking him to a medical center for evaluation.
During his time on the ship, he exhibited signs of irrational behavior and attempted to leave. He then proceeded to physically attack a guard and a nurse before grabbing a pair of scissors in another room. He stabbed a woman who was being examined, as well as two guards who tried to intervene. Eventually, he was subdued and held in a "shipboard jail," with none of the injuries being life-threatening.
Upon the ship's arrival in Juneau on Tuesday, he was arrested by the FBI, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
If found guilty, Sogoni could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. The sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge.
