NHL Owner Charged After Allegedly Strangling His Wife, Is Suspended Indefinitely by League
A hedge-fund manager who also owns a piece of the Arizona Coyotes of the NHL is facing multiple criminal charges after an incident with his wife.
Andrew Barroway, 57, of Scottsdale, Arizona, is charged with second-degree assault, a felony; third-degree assault, a misdemeanor; and a domestic violence count, the Aspen Daily News reported Friday.
The NHL responded by suspending Barroway.
“The National Hockey League is aware of the arrest of Arizona Coyotes’ minority owner Andrew Barroway. Pending further information, he has been suspended indefinitely,” the NHL said Friday in a statement posted on Twitter.
In addition to the charges against Barroway, 9th Judicial District Chief Judge John Neiley issued a mandatory protection order that bans Barroway from any contact with his wife. The only exception to the ruling is contact between the two through a third party when the couple’s children are exchanged.
Barroway also was banned from consuming alcohol or other substances.
Barroway, whose next court date is April 3, was majority owner of the Coyotes from 2014 until 2019, when he sold his majority holdings to Alex Meruelo, according to the New York Post.
Per the Aspen Daily News, the Coyotes issued a statement saying, “We are aware of the allegation regarding Mr. Barroway and we are working with the League to gather more information. When we have enough information, we will have an appropriate response. Until the investigation is complete, we will have no further comment.”
Barroway spent Thursday night in the Pitkin County Jail and posted a $2,500 personal recognizance bond Friday, the newspaper said.
Citing an arrest warrant affidavit, the outlet said Aspen police responded to the Limelight Aspen hotel on Thursday morning at about 8:45 a.m. due to an argument between a man and a woman.
Police were told an initial argument took place, calmed, and then flared again.
The affidavit from Aspen Police officer Adriano Minniti said the hotel manager “informed them that she is calling the police. The male asked them not to call the police and they’ve been quiet since then.”
According to the affidavit, Minniti “knocked several times, and announced myself, but no one answered the door. The hotel called the room and advised the guest to answer the door. Two individuals answer the door, Andrew Barroway and (his wife). (The wife) appeared to be in distress as she was currently heavily crying, seemed to have been crying for a while, had bruising on her ankles, knees, and blood on her hands.”
The arrest warrant affidavit quoted the wife as telling the officer, “I don’t want to ruin my prenup with him, so I didn’t want to say anything bad about him.”
The affidavit said the woman had a large bruise on her left thigh, a cut on her right thumb, bruises on both knees and ankles, a red left cheek, and two dried blood spots on her throat. Those injuries were from a Wednesday night incident, the affidavit said.
The affidavit said the woman complained of being strangled and that incidents in the bathroom and kitchen “caused fear and pain,” with the woman “stating that she ‘saw stars,’” the affidavit said.
After dinner with friends, an argument ensued in which the woman said she was slapped twice in the face.
Attorney Scott Troxell sought to modify the ban on drinking alcohol. Deputy District Attorney Tony Hershey opposed the request, as did the judge.
“I don’t agree with the request from the defense that it not be excessive alcohol,” Neiley said, according to the Aspen Daily News. “Under the circumstances, at least alleged in the affidavit, alcohol was a factor. I’m going to leave that as is.”
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