Sallisaw Woman Faces Harboring Charge

A Sallisaw woman was charged with harboring a fugitive from justice, a felony, after a man facing charges was found inside her residence.

Tayler Holliday Carrothers, 26, was also charged with three misdemeanors -- possession of a controlled dangerous substance, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting an officer.

According to arrest records, an off-duty Sallisaw Police Department officer shopping at Walmart on Jan. 1 spotted Aaron Traye Webb, whom he knew to have several warrants in Sequoyah County and one city warrant.

The officer lost sight of Webb, but a subsequent review of surveillance footage at the store showed Webb getting into a newer-model white car with a tinted sunroof and tinted windows.

Officers learned that Webb had been staying with his girlfriend, Carrothers, at her apartment, but attempts to reach him at that location were unsuccessful.

On Jan. 3 an officer watching the apartment saw multiple people inside the residence and saw the car Webb had entered at Walmart parked in the residence’s driveway.

After backup arrived, officers climbed a flight of stairs and could hear people talking inside. Officers were unsure if Webb was present until they heard a woman call out to him using the name “Traye.” 

Officers began knocking on the door, with no response from inside. After kicking down the door, the officers spotted Carrothers, who told them Webb was not there. Officers continued to search the residence. 

A lieutenant entered a back closet that had a large amount of clothes stacked against a piece of linoleum behind the water heater. When he was able to clear the clothes and remove the linoleum, he discovered Webb hiding.

During a search of the residence, officers found syringes, spoons and scales in plain view. Officers also found multiple baggies containing a white substance, which field-tested positive for traces of heroin.

Both were taken to the Sequoyah County Jail.

Carrothers’ felony harboring charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The drug possession charge and drug paraphernalia charge each carry a penalty of up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $1,000. The charge of resisting an officer is punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $500.

Carrothers’ next court appearance is at 9 a.m. Jan. 29. Her bond was set at $7,500.

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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