Cruise ship worker accused of stabbing 3 people with scissors on board vessel bound for Alaska
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A cruise ship worker from South Africa was arrested Tuesday in Alaska’s capital city, accused of attacking a woman and two security guards with scissors on board the vessel, according to authorities.
The U.S. attorney’s office says the man is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon within maritime and territorial jurisdiction. Online court records do not show an attorney for the 35-year-old man.
According to an affidavit from FBI Special Agent Matthew Judy, the man was recently hired by a cruise line and joined the ship, the Norwegian Encore, in Seattle on Sunday. The ship set off that day for a weeklong trip with scheduled stops in Alaska ports, including the capital of Juneau, and British Columbia.
The alleged incident happened west of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, as the ship was sailing to Alaska. According to the affidavit, during the ‘late evening” Sunday, ship personnel saw the man trying to deploy a lifeboat, and he was taken by security to a medical center for an evaluation.