A South African man was arrested Tuesday by the FBI for allegedly stabbing multiple people with medical scissors while aboard a cruise ship before it reached Juneau, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office and official documents.
Ntando Sogoni, 35, was working aboard the Norwegian Encore on Monday when other ship employees observed him attempting to deploy a lifeboat, according to court documents. An affidavit by FBI Special Agent Matthew Judy states Sogoni was recently hired by the company and boarded the ship Sunday in Seattle, which departed that day for a weeklong cruise to Alaska.
“Sogoni was contacted by ship security and escorted to the ship’s medical center for an assessment,” a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s office states. “Upon arrival, Sogoni physically attacked a security guard and a male nurse inside an examination room and proceeded to enter another examination room where a woman, who is a U.S. citizen, was being examined. He grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed the woman multiple times in the arm, hand and face. He also stabbed two security guards who intervened—one in the head and one in the back and shoulders.”
Sogoni was detained and held in the ship’s jail prior to his arrest the next day, according to the release. None of the injuries were considered life-threatening.
Sogoni is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon within maritime and territorial jurisdiction. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office, FBI Juneau Resident Agency and U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service are investigating the case.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
