New details have emerged following Dancing With the Stars pro Artem Chigvintsev’s domestic violence arrest. Sources connected to the investigation told TMZ that paramedics and the fire department were reportedly called to the home Chigvintsev shares with wife Nikki Garcia just an hour before officers with the Napa Valley Police Department took him into custody.
Emergency first responders were dispatched after a 911 call was reportedly made at around 8:30 a.m. local time by an unidentified individual who reported an unspecified “medical emergency.” However, a second call came in shortly after from someone at the home cancelling the request. Paramedics and the fire department were already enroute to the Napa Valley, California area home and turned around.
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Less than two hours later, at around 10 a.m. local time, officers with the Napa Valley Sheriff’s Department responded to a call in the town of Yountville, California and arrested Chigvintsev, Napa Valley Sheriff PIO Henry Wofford confirmed to Us Weekly. According to records viewed by the outlet, Chigvintsev was booked on charges under section 273.5(a) of the California Penal Code “pertaining to an individual who has injured a spouse, cohabitant or fellow parent.” Authorities explained that injuries must be visible at the time of the arrest for the suspected crime to be a felony. Chigvintsev “was arrested without incident. He was not fighting or combative,” Wofford said. He was booked just after 10:40 a.m. His bail was set at $25,000. He was released later that afternoon..
Police said they “had an opportunity to speak to the victim,” who “requested complete confidentiality.” The investigation is ongoing.
It’s unclear at this time if Garcia was involved in the incident, though she did confirm on social media that she was in the Napa Valley area when she posted to social media about getting a facial in downtown Napa just a day earlier. She has not commented on Chigvintsev’s arrest at this time.
Chigvintsev and Garcia met in 2017 when they were paired together for Dancing With the Stars Season 25. They were engaged two years later and welcomed their first child together, son Matteo Artemovich, in July 2020. They tied the knot in 2022.
Chigvintsev’s felony domestic violence arrest came just days after the couple celebrated their second anniversary on Monday and just weeks before DWTS Season 33 kicks off on ABC and Disney+. The full cast for the season is expected to be announced on Good Morning America next week, but a source told Page Six following Chigvintsev’s arrest that “there were no plans for Artem to be a part” of the upcoming season.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also chat with a representative at thehotline.org or by texting “START” to 88788.
