Bowler family speaks, new details about man charged in homicide
Relatives of Anthony “Tony” Bowler, the former Army Sergeant shot and killed this weekend, opened up to ABC-7. They said a protective order was not enough to keep an estranged husband away from his wife and her kids, and that ultimately led to the murder of their loved one.
According to two affidavits the ABC-7 I-team uncovered about this weekend’s east side murder, a barbecue at Nicole Mendiola’s house turned deadly when her husband showed up with a rifle.
Alberto Mendiola, 25, was arrested for killing Tony Bowler early Saturday morning.
Mendiola had a previous criminal record, including an arrest on Feb. 10, on suspicion of assault causing bodily harm. His wife had a temporary restraining order against him, set to expire April 10.
“I know my brother was protecting the kids,” Bowler’s older sister, Ana Bowler, said. She added that Bowler barely knew the people Mendiola showed up to the house to see.
Ana is still in shock. She can’t believe her brother is gone.
Police say Mendiola was trying to break into an east side home on the 1100 block of Warcloud where his wife and her four kids were living. That’s when Bowler blocked the back door and Mendiola allegedly shot through it, hitting and killing the Iraq War veteran.
“He (Mendiola) had no right to be there and for him to kill my brother after having a protective order to not be around the woman is ridiculous,” Bowler said.
According to the police affidavit, Mendiola took his wife’s cell phone and held her and the kids hostage in the master bedroom for several hours after the shooting.
“He did this family a real injustice and he will have to pay for it, legally and when his time comes, God will take care of him,” Bowler said about her feelings towards the suspect.im.
Officers continue to watch over the home to make sure that nobody goes inside. El Paso Police still consider it a crime scene and don’t want anyone to mess with potential evidence, the officer outside the home said Monday.
Michael Alvarez is with the El Paso County Attorney’s Office Family Violence Unit.
He said protective orders prohibit behaviors that usually lead to violence, but some of the responsibility also falls on the person asking for protection.
“They don’t stop bullets, they don’t stop knife blades, so they need to use common sense, precautionary measures to protect their safety,” Alvarez said.
As for the Bowlers, they said Tony died a hero.
“He went to Iraq, he came back to us … and for this to happen to him is without words,” Ana said. She added her brother was married for seven years. Bowler’s mom said he was a massage therapist, a mixed martial artist and a business management student.
