California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri was arrested at his Folsom home early Feb. 4 following an alleged domestic dispute between his fiancée and teenage daughter, just hours after appearing with Governor Gavin Newsom at a rail project event in Kern County. Police took Choudri, 57, and Lyudmyla Starostyuk, 46, into custody on misdemeanor battery charges before both were released from Sacramento County Jail.

A Folsom Police spokesperson confirmed the arrests but noted that the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office declined to file charges, citing insufficient evidence to identify a "dominant aggressor" in the incident. Dispatch recordings revealed the dispute involved Starostyuk allegedly pulling the 17-year-old's hair and pushing her before locking her out of the house. All three residents were outside when officers arrived.

Choudri had joined Newsom that day to announce completion of the authority's 150-acre railhead facility near Shafter, which will serve as a staging area for track construction in the Southern San Joaquin Valley. The High-Speed Rail Authority stated it is reviewing the matter. Newsom's office referred comment requests to the agency. Choudri, appointed CEO in August 2024, previously worked on large-scale construction projects in over 18 countries.