Monsoon storms brought rain and lightning across Phoenix and the wider Valley on Thursday as new details emerged about the arrest of Kyrsten Sinema’s former bodyguard.
Matthew Ammel, 39, was arrested on 17 September on suspicion of aggravated criminal damage after deputies accused him of causing more than $200,000 in damage at the former Arizona senator’s home in Cave Creek.
According to a probable-cause statement, the incident took place on 30 August while Sinema was away. She told deputies that Ammel demanded she post a video to her X account and threatened to damage one of her paintings every ten minutes if she refused.
Deputies allege that about 22 paintings were subsequently removed from the walls and thrown into the swimming pool. The artwork was valued at $123,015, while the total damage to the property was estimated to exceed $200,000.
Investigators also said expensive bottles of alcohol were smashed inside the house, glass was scattered through parts of the property and a mirror was broken. Sinema provided text messages, video recordings and surveillance footage, according to the statement.
Ammel was taken into custody as he was being released from a mental health facility. He was later released and ordered not to contact Sinema, with an ankle monitor also imposed.
The criminal case comes as Sinema faces a separate civil lawsuit in North Carolina brought by Ammel’s former wife, who alleges that the relationship between the former senator and her husband contributed to the breakdown of their marriage. Sinema has asked for that case to be dismissed.
A preliminary hearing in the criminal case is scheduled for 5 October.
