Andrew Barroway: Arizona Coyotes minority owner accused of strangling wife after flying into ‘rage'
ASPEN, COLORADO: Arizona Coyotes minority owner Andrew Barroway has been arrested in Aspen, Colorado, after allegedly attempting to strangle his wife. The 57-year-old was arrested on Thursday, March 23, and charged with felony and misdemeanor assault in connection with the incident. Barroway was the majority owner of the Coyotes from 2014 until 2019. During this time, he sold his majority stake to Alex Meruelo. Barroway is reportedly married to Elyse Sitner Barroway, but reports of the domestic violence incident have not named the wife.
After the arrest, the NHL took to social media to announce that Barroway has been “suspended indefinitely” pending any further investigation. "The National Hockey League is aware of the arrest of Arizona Coyotes’ minority owner Andrew Barroway. Pending further information, he has been suspended indefinitely," it said in a statement.
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NHL statement regarding Coyotes’ minority owner Andrew Barroway: https://t.co/Z7kpeQAXpo pic.twitter.com/Ba6NvGtBJO
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 24, 2023
What does the police affidavit say?
A police affidavit states that Barroway’s wife told authorities the “first altercation started last night [Wednesday] before dinner when her and Andrew were bickering … She went to splash him with a drink and the bottle slipped and flew towards Andrew." "He slapped the bottle away and it broke, sending him into a ‘rage'," the affidavit says, according to The Aspen Daily News.
“After further interviewing, [the wife] clarified that Andrew slapped the bottle out of her hand. He then strangled her with one hand and put her on the ground in the bathroom and a second time in the kitchen. Both the events caused fear and pain, stating that she ‘saw stars'," it added.
'I didn’t want to say anything bad about him'
Barroway is currently the managing partner of the hedge fund Merion Investment Management LP, based in New York and Scottsdale. He lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. Previously, Barroway tried to buy the Devils and Islanders.
On Thursday morning, police were summoned to the Limelight Hotel in Aspen after it was reported that a couple was fighting loudly. According to a manager of the hotel, Barroway apologized for the disturbance and shut the door, and the couple resumed their fight. “[The manager] knocked again and informed them that she is calling the police,” the affidavit said. “The male asked them not to call the police and they’ve been quiet since then.”
The manager claimed the woman told a housekeeper that she was “not OK,” “afraid,” “not well” and “hurt.” The affidavit said cops “knocked several times, and announced [themselves], but no one answered the door.”
“The hotel called the room and advised the guest to answer the door,” police said. “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.”
Barroway’s wife told cops, "I don’t want to ruin my prenup with him, so I didn’t want to say anything bad about him.” According to Barroway, it was his wife's birthday. He said she had been to rehab twice, and claimed that they were going through a divorce but were trying to be together. It has been reported that the couple was having a fight over Barroway’s will and child support.
Barroway's wife reportedly suffered several injuries as a result of the assault, including bruises on her knees, ankles, and one of her thighs. She also had dried blood spots on her neck and a cut on one of her thumbs. On Friday, March 24, Barroway was released on a $2,500 recognizance bond. He was also issued an order of protection and is now not allowed to have contact with his wife.