Ludwig Kaiser Arrested On Battery Charge In Florida
Ludwig Kaiser, whose real name is Marcel Barthel, was arrested on May 20 on a charge of battery in Orange County, Florida. The WWE Superstar posted $1,000 bond and was released from custody.
As per an arrest warrant from the Circuit Court of the Ninth Judicial Court in Orange County, Kaiser entered a not-guilty plea through written filing and waived his in-person arraignment appearance. The case has been assigned to Judge Jeramy C. Beasley, with future court dates pending.
Officer Victor Cortes provided a sworn affidavit detailing the misdemeanor battery charge stemming from an incident on April 23. The alleged altercation occurred at on Lake Eola in Orlando.
According to the affidavit, Richard Reap entered an elevator at approximately 6:30 p.m. ET and was followed by a male suspect, believed to be Kaiser, and an unknown female.
Reap claimed the couple began acting in an "uncontrollably intimate" manner, described as aggressively kissing.
After reaching the 12th floor, Reap said he told the couple to "please have some manners." Reap alleged that the male suspect then assaulted him, punching him multiple times and shoving him to the ground while making additional threats of violence.
Officer Cortes observed a large, fresh scratch on the back of Reap's head along with redness, which he believed was consistent with a physical altercation.
Officer Benavides reviewed surveillance footage from the 12th floor, observing a white male punching and pushing Reap outside the elevator at the reported time.
Officers identified Kaiser as the possible suspect matching the description from the surveillance footage. Kaiser is a current resident of the apartment complex. Reap later identified Kaiser from a photo lineup as the person who battered him.
Kaiser filed a motion to allow out-of-state and international travel. The motion stated that Kaiser only became aware of the warrant while in Mexico on work and traveled to Orlando to address it by posting bond.
The motion highlighted that Kaiser is an international performer who needs to travel outside of Florida and has no criminal record. Defense filings confirm Kaiser has no prior criminal history.
