Dancing With the Stars pro Artem Chigvintsev accused wife Nikki Garcia of throwing shoes at him when he called 911 during an alleged altercation on Thursday, August 29.
Chigvintsev, 42, initially requested medical attention, according to a 911 dispatch tape acquired by TMZ on Friday.
“Initially came in as requesting medical, but now he is stating he got into an argument with his wife and his wife threw shoes at rp [reporting party],” the dispatcher said on the call.
“There is a child on scene,” the dispatcher continued. “Medical en route. There’s an active 415 [disturbing the peace] in the background responsible.” Chigvintsev and Garcia, 40, share son Matteo, 4.
A few minutes later, Chigvintsev tried to cancel his 911 calling back and saying he no longer needed medical attention.
“RP is stating no medical is needed now,” the dispatcher said.
That didn’t prevent police from arriving on scene in Napa Valley, California an hour later, where they found an individual with visible injuries and arrested Chigvintsev. It has still not been confirmed whether Garcia was the injured party.
Napa Valley Sheriff PIO Henry Wofford told Us that Chigvintsev was booked after 10:40 a.m. and his bail was set at $25,000. He was released that afternoon.
“We also had an opportunity to speak to the victim and the suspect was arrested without incident. He was not fighting or combative,” he added.
Garcia released her first statement since the arrest on Friday, asking for privacy.
“This is a private matter, and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time,” a rep for Garcia told Us Weekly in a statement.
Chigvintsev was arrested 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. A felony conviction for Chigvintsev could result in up to four years in a state prison and a maximum $6,000 fine. If convicted of a misdemeanor, he could face up to one year in a county jail and a maximum $6,000 fine.
Chigvintsev and Garcia married in August 2022 after meeting on season 25 of DWTS in 2017. They confirmed their relationship in 2019 after Garcia and John Cena broke off their engagement. The two celebrated their second wedding anniversary just two days before Chigvintsev’s arrest.
TMZ also reported that DWTS decided in the days prior to his arrest not to pick up Chigvintsev’s option for next season.
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
