Ludwig Kaiser’s Florida battery case now has a lot more detail, and the arrest warrant affidavit obtained by Ringside News lays out the alleged elevator incident that led to the WWE star being accused of simple battery.
Kaiser, whose real name is Marcel Barthel, is accused in connection with an alleged incident that happened on April 23, 2026 at the Paramount on Lake Eola Apartments in Orlando.
According to the affidavit, Orlando Police Officer Victor Cortes responded to the apartment building around 6:37 PM after a man named Richard Reap said he had been battered outside an elevator on the 12th floor.
Reap told police he entered the elevator at approximately 6:30 PM and was followed by an unknown white male and an unknown white female. The affidavit says the man and woman then began acting in a very intimate way as the elevator went up. The affidavit states Reap described the behavior as:
“uncontrollably intimate”
The document says Reap described the couple as aggressively kissing. Once the elevator reached the 12th floor, Reap told police he exited and made a comment to them.
“please have some manners.”
That is when the situation allegedly turned physical. According to the affidavit, Reap claimed the male immediately attacked him after the comment. Reap told police the man punched him multiple times and pushed him to the ground. He also claimed the man made threats of additional violence.
The responding officer said Reap had a visible injury when police arrived. According to the affidavit, Officer Cortes observed a large fresh scratch on the back of Reap’s head, along with redness in the same area. The officer described the injury as consistent with a recent physical altercation.
The documents also say Officer Benavides arrived on scene and reviewed surveillance footage from the 12th floor. According to the affidavit, that footage showed a white male punching and pushing Reap outside the elevator at approximately the same time Reap said the incident happened.
Police then identified Barthel as a possible suspect through their investigation. The affidavit states Barthel matched the description of the person seen in the surveillance footage. The document also notes that Barthel was a current resident of the apartment complex at 415 E. Pine St. in Orlando.
Later that night, officers returned to the building to conduct a photo lineup with Reap. The affidavit says Corporal Shaylor, who had no prior involvement in the investigation, read the lineup instructions aloud before Reap reviewed six black-and-white photographs.
According to the affidavit, Reap immediately identified photograph number five by circling and initialing it as the person who battered him. The individual in photograph number five was positively identified as Marcel Barthel.
Police said probable cause was established based on Reap’s statement, the visible injury, the surveillance footage, and the photo lineup identification.
Barthel later turned himself in on May 20 after an active arrest warrant was issued. The charge is listed as misdemeanor battery. The case remains an allegation unless it is resolved in court.
Kaiser has recently been appearing on WWE television under the masked El Grande Americano character, which makes the situation even more notable as WWE continues moving forward with its programming. WWE has not publicly commented on the case as of this writing.
The documents now give a much clearer look at what police say happened before Kaiser’s arrest, including the elevator exchange, the alleged attack, the injury, the surveillance footage, and the photo lineup identification.
Do you think these new details should impact Ludwig Kaiser’s WWE television status, or should WWE let the legal process play out first? Let us know your thoughts and leave your feedback in the comments.