Matthew Ammel, Kyrsten Sinema’s former bodyguard and alleged ex-boyfriend, was arrested Sept. 18 and faces a felony criminal-damage charge over alleged damage exceeding $200,000 at her Arizona home. Investigators say Ammel threw 22 paintings into her pool.
According to court documents, Sinema told police Ammel entered her Cave Creek home on Aug. 30 while she was out of town and demanded she post a video to X, threatening to destroy one painting every 10 minutes if she refused. Investigators say that after she did not post it, he removed 22 paintings valued at $123,015 and threw them into the pool, smashed expensive alcohol bottles and shattered a wall-mounted mirror with a glass bottle.
Sinema gave investigators texts, recordings and surveillance footage that deputies said helped identify Ammel. He has not been convicted of the alleged offense. Separately, Ammel’s ex-wife Heather is suing Sinema in North Carolina, alleging she broke up their marriage. Sinema acknowledged their relationship became sexual in 2024; a judge ruled earlier this month that nine texts she sent Ammel while he was in the state were enough to establish jurisdiction.
