Nikki Garcia was pictured in Napa Valley, California on Tuesday, amid news her estranged husband Artem Chigvintsev will not face domestic violence charges after a ‘thorough’ criminal investigation was completed by the Napa County District Attorney.
Garcia, 40, who rose to fame in WWE with twin sister Brie as The Bella Twins, was pictured with a grocery cart loaded with pumpkins of all shapes and sizes as fall commences.
Garcia, who has filed for divorce from the professional dancer, 42, kept a low profile as she wore a black tank top and leggings with black sunglasses and a brown straw hat with a black band.
The former WWE star had a light blue denim shirt tied around her waist, a purse slung across her shoulder and gray trainers on the autumn day.
Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley announced Tuesday that her office has declined to file criminal charges against Chigvintsev, 42, in connection with his August 29 arrest on suspicion of felony domestic violence.
The decision to not file charges against Chigvintsev was made after a thorough review of the criminal investigation and careful evaluation of the evidence presented to the DA’s Office, officials said.
‘While we take every arrest seriously and stand firmly against domestic violence, we have an ethical obligation to only file charges when supported by the evidence,’ Haley said in a statement obtained by DailyMail.com.
Haley said, ‘We are required to prove any and every criminal charge “beyond a reasonable doubt” which is the highest standard in the American criminal justice system. If the available evidence doesn’t rise to this level of proof, then we cannot ethically file charges.’
Domestic violence can either be filed as a felony or a misdemeanor and has a statute of limitations of three years or one year, respectively.
At any time within the statute of limitations, the Napa County District Attorney’s Office may revisit the case if it learns of other incidents, or otherwise learns of facts or evidence not previously known.
Haley added that the Napa County District Attorney’s Victim Services Division works closely with victims of domestic violence and other crimes and links them to available resources whether charges are filed or not.
Earlier this month, the Dancing With The Stars pro cited ‘irreconcilable differences’ as the reason for their split in his own divorce filing.
He listed the date of separation as August 29 – which was the same day that he was arrested for felony domestic violence charges following the alleged altercation at their home in Napa, California.
Chigvintsev has also requested for joint legal and physical custody of his and Nikki’s four-year-old son, Matteo. The Russian-born dancer has asked for spousal support, and also requested that Garcia pay for his legal fees.
In the filing, Artem claimed that he was a putative spouse between the dates of August 26, 2022 and January 19, 2023.
A putative spouse is an individual who believes they are legally married to someone, but the marriage itself is not valid.
Just days before the pro dancer was placed into handcuffs, the couple had marked their second wedding anniversary.
At the time, Chigvintsev shared a heartfelt message in an Instagram post that read, ‘Happy anniversary my love, can’t see my life without you. You are my everything.’
