In the final weeks of MuppetVision 3D, as people said goodbye to the beloved attraction, a fight broke out between two guests that led to an arrest.
Fight Breaks Out During MuppetVision 3D Final Days, Leads to Arrest
The dramatic scene happened on May 15, according to the Orange County Sheriff Office’s arrest report that was recently released, which is why WDWNT is writing about the incident now.
A female victim, whose age was not listed, and her mom were watching the show and heard the announcement reminding people not to use their phones.
Around that time, Wilmarie Ruiz Rodriguez, 27, of Spring Hill, answered her phone inside the theater.
The victim “leaned over, and asked Wilmarie to politely stop her conversation since the show was going to start shortly. She said that Wilmarie told her to, ‘Shut the f*** up you stupid little b****,’” the arrest report said. Ruiz Rodriguez also insulted the victim’s mom, calling her a b****, also.
The victim and Ruiz Rodriguez watched the show apparently uneventfully until they both left the theater at the end. Perhaps it was the last time they would both see the Disney’s Hollywood Studios show, because it closed less than a month later.
Walking out of the theater, the victim said she was scared of Ruiz Rodriguez and decided to record her on her cell phone to document in case any other confrontations took place.
Ruiz Rodriguez realized she was being recorded and struck the victim, who dropped the phone and stopped recording. When the victim picked the phone off the ground, Ruiz Rodriguez snatched it and hurled the phone 30 to 50 feet away.
Meanwhile, law enforcement tracked down Ruiz Rodriguez in the park to hear her side of the story.
“Wilmarie said that while she was in the theatre, she received a phone call from her mother-in-law about her dog. As she was speaking to her mother-in-law, she said [the victim] leaned over, and told her in a nasty tone that she was not supposed to be on the phone,” the arrest report said. “Wilmarie ignored her and finished her conversation prior to the show starting.”
When the show ended, Ruiz Rodriguez’s husband urged her to ignore the victim. However, Ruiz Rodriguez said she looked back and saw the victim filming her, which she considered to be harassment. “Wilmarie said she walked towards (the victim), pushed her, and in the process knocked the phone out of her hand. Wilmarie said when (the victim) picked the phone back up, she proceeded to grab the phone from her and throw it away from her into a crowd,” according to the report.
Ruiz Rodriguez pleaded not guilty to battery, principal to robbery (sudden snatching), and criminal mischief charges. Her defense lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.
MuppetVision 3D held its final performance on June 7 before closing forever on the following day to make way for a new Monsters, Inc. land.
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