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Ex-bodyguard accused of trashing former Arizona Senator's home
The former bodyguard to ex-Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema is facing a felony charge after deputies say he caused over $200,000 in damage at her Cave Creek home. FOX 10's Jacob Luthi reports.
CAVE CREEK, Ariz. - Matthew Ammel, the former bodyguard to ex-Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, is accused of entering her Cave Creek home while she was out of town and causing more than $200,000 in damage, according to a probable cause statement.
What we know:
According to court documents, the incident occurred Aug. 30, but Sinema did not report it to deputies until Sept. 3.
Sinema told deputies Ammel demanded she post a video to her X account and threatened to damage her paintings every 10 minutes if she did not. The probable cause statement says Sinema did not post the video and Ammel then removed about 22 paintings from the walls and threw them into the backyard pool.
The combined reported value of those paintings was $123,015, according to deputies.
Sinema also told deputies that Ammel broke several expensive alcohol bottles inside the home, scattering glass throughout portions of the house and pool. Deputies said they personally saw a shattered mirror, locations where paintings had been placed and paintings in the pool, including paintings with black lettering.
Sinema provided text messages, video recordings and surveillance footage, according to deputies.
Total Damage Cost:
The total estimated damage to the home, paintings included, was over $200,000, the probable cause statement said.
The Arrest:
Ammel was arrested Sept. 17 on a charge of aggravated criminal damage. Deputies took him into custody as he was released from a mental health facility.
During his scheduled first court appearance, deputies said Ammel was too combative to appear. Ammel was released and ordered not to have contact with Sinema, and to wear an ankle monitor.
Dig deeper:
FOX 10 visited the home where the alleged incident took place but did not receive a response. FOX 10 also reached out to Sinema’s attorney but had not received a response at the time of publication.
The backstory:
The criminal case comes as Sinema has acknowledged having an affair with Ammel in response to a lawsuit filed against her in North Carolina.
Former Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema facing lawsuit over alleged affair with bodyguard
A North Carolina woman is suing former Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema for more than $25,000, alleging Sinema’s affair with the woman's husband destroyed their 14-year marriage under the state’s "alienation of affection" law.
A woman in North Carolina sued Sinema under a state law known as "alienation of affection," which allows a spouse to sue a third party for interfering with or destroying a marriage.
Sinema has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that her relationship with Ammel took place entirely outside North Carolina.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from deputies; a lawsuit; a report; Kyrsten Sinema, ex-Arizona senator; and deputies.