Drunk Ohio couple arrested after allegedly attacking family and punching their 9-year-old in cruise ship cabin: cops

A drunk Ohio couple allegedly barged into a family’s cabin after being told to quiet down and attacked them, including striking their 9-year-old, police said.

Gannon Jacox, 29, and his girlfriend Brooklyn Hicks, 28, were arrested on Saturday evening at Port Canaveral, about 40 miles from Orlando International Airport, following the dust-up on the ship, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey wrote on the department’s Facebook page.

The suspects, both from Ohio, “were apparently arguing loudly after taking advantage of some adult beverages” when one of the victims asked them to quiet down — prompting the pair to confront the victim and get in their face outside the family’s cabin door, Ivey wrote.

The allegedly drunken passengers then “pushed their way into the victim’s room,” where Jacox began attacking two adult victims and their 9-year-old child, Ivey wrote.

“As a fight ensued Jacox ends up hitting all 3 people (including the child) and Hicks was just swinging, hoping one would land,” Ivey wrote.

“Jacox got a pretty gross injury to his eye, that was either caused by one of the victims or friendly fire from the Haymakers his girlfriend was throwing!”

None of the family members “were seriously injured in this ridiculous escapade,” Ivey wrote.

Jacox was charged with burglary with battery and child abuse without great bodily harm, while Hicks was charged with burglary with battery and battery-touch/strike following the attack after the unidentified cruise ship returned to Port Canaveral, the sheriff’s office said.

Both suspects were booked into the Brevard County Jail.

Jacox is currently being held on a $31,000 bond, while Hicks is being held on a $6,000 bond, according to online records.

Ivey noted that the weekend’s cruise troubles had little to do with the summer heat — pointing instead to alcohol and poor judgment.

“It’s for sure the alcohol combined with an apparent lack of common sense!!” he wrote.

Four cruise ships docked at Port Canaveral on Saturday — Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas, Disney’s Disney Treasure and Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras and Carnival Freedom, according to the port’s cruise ship schedule for Aug. 15, 2026.

It remains unclear which vessel the suspects were staying on when they allegedly attacked the family.

Following the arrests, Ivey used the incident as a warning to anyone thinking about getting rowdy on a cruise.

“The moral of the story…if you can’t hold your liquor, then you definitely shouldn’t be out in public causing a scene like this and injuring random people including a child!!” Ivey wrote.

“And if that memo is not clear enough for you then you might want to stay your butt out of Brevard County!!”

“You know the deal folks, break the law in Brevard County and I promise you the lodge will have a reservation with your name on it!!” Ivey quipped.