C (11:35)

Sky 10, flying over their home on Wednesday. That is where she was found dead. Investigators spent hours there gathering clues. And about a dozen miles away in Plantation, cell phone video showing law enforcement swarming an apartment complex, blocking off an entire parking lot as detectives worked the area. Sources telling Local 10 this is where they caught up with their suspect. The Coral Springs police chief said right now, Matteo Bowen's husband is the only suspect in this case and that her death has been ruled a homicide.

A (12:03)

Cases like this, unfortunately, are not isolated, and they follow these patterns we've talked about, right? This shame, escalation, control. And there's usually a lot of warning signs that exist before it turns deadly. And this doesn't even account for the many people who survive these events. Right. They could be injured, you know, mentally traumatized. So I just wanted to be very clear that ignoring red flags can be deadly. And understanding the warning signs is really kind of this delicate balance between life and death. I mean, we just have to be honest about it, especially when we talk about, you know, the statistics I laid out for you. I mean, this really is a threat. So jumping back into the details of the case, there was one thing I brought up in the beginning that I know a lot of people have questions, questions about, because I do. And it's the fact that there is this syringe involved. He had a syringe in his hand and he says, hold still. And I see the syringe and I just kind of like bat it away from us both. This is incredibly concerning. We have a doctor here that does not just have medical expertise. He also has access to drugs and different things that we can't just go in and buy it like a cvs, a Walgreen. So that's concerning. We also have not been told what was in the syringe. So we can only make like wild guesses. And I don't know if it's just to help in the trial or maybe what's left in there, you know, was such a small sampling, they didn't get a good read on it. But whatever it is, we should at least talk through what could be in the syringe because this isn't the first time we've seen this. So of course there can be some sort of sedative, right, which really helps incapacitate a person very, very quickly. Another thing that could be an opiate or strong painkiller, you know, that can, you know, affect your breathing and consciousness. Remember, this is a hike, right? So obviously breathing at high levels, very important. If you're having troubles with your breathing, you got a rest and you're going to need assistance and help and then that can make you vulnerable. And lastly it's. But there could be some sort of toxic chemical in here that essentially was, you know, an attempted poisoning, which, you know, we'll see a lot of. Maybe like a nation state actor do like a Russia. It's very strange, of course, and you know, personal, intimate, relationship violence. So while we don't know what was actually in this syringe, it illustrates, you know, this very chilling point. Besides the fact that it's pre planned, he had to procure whatever was in there, bring it with him. He had planned to use this. And it just shows that when someone has this level of knowledge, it can raise the danger level a lot higher. And we just have to be honest about this. Abusers who have access to the medical world of things can use a syringe, in this case, to control someone, to incapacitate someone, and then, of course, to even just directly attempt murder, you know, with the item in the syringe. So it's very concerning another interesting piece of this case that a lot of people are wondering, why would you even do this? It's the fact that, of course, the husband reaches out to the son and claims, hey, you know, I attempted to kill Ariel. And everybody is like, well, why would someone do this? This doesn't make any sense. And that's the point. Point. When someone makes the decision that they're going to kill their spouse, they're already not thinking like an irrational actor. So it's hard when we're rational to then put our thought processes against that because he's already off in some sort of cuckoo land. And then the interesting thing is, during this call, he talks about his own suicidal thoughts. Now, that could be manipulative behavior, and we have to be honest about that. Right, because he can already start thinking of a ways to protect himself. Right? I'm the damaged one. I'm the one that's hurt. I've been the one suffering and going through these things, you know, and I didn't get the support and assistance I needed. You know, I was suicidal. So we just have to keep in mind that some of that also could have been done. So he had that bit of information put out there, right, that, oh, well, he was suicidal. Well, was he suicidal or is that just something he said to kind of muddy the waters when he failed to kill his wife? So it's just something to keep in mind and something to watch for as this trial goes forward. I mean, he's obviously trying to get the entire case dismissed, which is laughable.

B (17:14)

I felt like a shove and I was almost pushed over the edge, turned around and looked at her and was like, what the fuck was that? At this point, she was like 5 or 10ft away from me. And I get my one arm free, and I try to use it to get my other arm free, and she grabs me by the testicles.

A (17:31)

These type of criminals really do think through every step. And he seems to have planned this very well. And it's just something to be aware of. That's its own process where you can see other red flags occur. Because now he's trying to control another situation. Right? He's trying to control how the event looks like to a son. He's trying to maybe control how the legal world would look at it, etc. And then of course, now let's see how the public, public gets pulled and moved in and if any of that narrative gets controlled. There is one good thing from this call to the son though. It is this timely communication where, you know, he alerted authorities. Remember, this could have continued on and he could have tried again to kill his wife. And luckily, you know, she's safely away from that situation. But we don't know if it would have been different if people didn't get involved in the situation right away. So what can we learn from this case? Right, because everything we look at, there's always something we can take away. And of course, it's this fact that red flags matter. Any escalation in jealousy, control and threats should never be ignored. We also want to talk about location that matters. When you're in remote areas, any sort of outside intervention is so much harder and it's almost impossible. So you always need to put your personal safety first. Another thing is survival instincts are critical. Luckily, Ariel fought back. You have to think about that, right? Fight back, make a lot of noise, yell for help. Are you capable of protecting yourself? It's good to ask that question now because of course, every action counts and it helps you stay alive in this situation. And lastly, you know, resources exist, especially if you're in a bad situation. We have hotlines, shelters, you know, you can reach out to law enforcement who can help protect persons in danger. Like, don't feel alone. You have to reach out to the support network you have, even if you've been kind of pushing, pushed away from them, get re engaged, take your power back in these situations. Now if you're in a relationship and it feels like it's escalating because they're saying like, hey, you should have some sort of safety plan. But it's like, well, what is that? Right? Because it's critical to have one. But you don't just tell someone, put this together and you don't tell them what it is. So I'm going to walk through very quickly what could be in a safety plan. First off, you need to have a trusted person who knows what's going on and can check on you. I know it's hard to take personal things in between a relationship between a husband and wife and share them outward. But if it is escalating and there is violence or Even a fear of violence. You have to tell someone. There is no gray area on this. Another thing is you need to have your phone charged at all times, right? You have to always have a way to communicate. Never put yourself in a bad situation. Another thing is you need to know your exits. It doesn't matter if you're home, in the car, in a public place. If you need to move quickly, you have to be able to do it. Start practicing that and thinking about it. Another thing this case showed us, avoid being in one of these remote or confined environments, especially if tensions are escalating. Even if you are in that environment and things seem fine and it starts going downhill, get out, right? You don't need to stay in that location and deal with the problem. You need to get to a safer location first. Another thing that's important is you keep important documents, cash, you know, any of your essentials accessible if you need to leave early. That's why we always love, like a go bag for emergencies. You can use it for so many other things. You know, get that put. And if something feels like it's escalating, just remove yourself early from the situation. Don't wait until it gets physical, because now, you know you no longer have the initiative and you're putting yourself in a much more difficult situation. If your priority is your own safety. You know, the goal here is not to live in any sort of fear. It's being able to stop, step back, and realize when a situation is changing, when it's escalating, and when you should do something about it. Domestic violence escalates incredibly quickly, and any sort of awareness you have and preparation and early action can really save your life. That's it for today's episode of the Watch Floor. This case in Hawaii is a chilling reminder that danger can come from the person you know you wake up with every day and who you love the most. And it reinforces the importance that you cannot ignore those red flags. So stay safe, stay aware, and we'll see you next time on the Watch Floor.