A former contestant on NBC's "The Voice" was arrested Wednesday in Oklahoma on a Tennessee vehicular homicide warrant following a multistate search, authorities said.
Kata Hay, 38, was taken into custody by a sheriff's deputy in Oklahoma and is expected to be extradited to Davidson County, Tennessee, according to the Goodlettsville Police Department, cited by Billboard.
Hay competed on Season 10 of "The Voice" in 2016 as an aspiring country singer.
Police said they began seeking Hay, whose legal name is Kata Huddleston, last week and publicly asked for help locating her.
In a Facebook post that included her photograph, the department said that she had left Tennessee.
"We have reason to believe that she may be en route to Oklahoma and traveling with a white male and quite possibly towing a large camper," the post said.
Authorities credited public tips with helping locate Hay.
After her arrest, the department issued a follow-up statement thanking those who provided information.
"The Goodlettsville Police Department would like to thank the multitude of citizens who called in with tips as to the location of Ms. Huddleston," the post said. "As a direct result we are pleased to announce that she was arrested early this morning in Oklahoma where she will be extradited back to Davidson County."
In addition to the vehicular homicide warrant, Hay faces other pending charges connected to a Dec. 10 incident, according to TMZ.
Those include an open DUI case, leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage estimated to exceed $1,500, and driving with an open container of alcohol.
Police have not released additional details about the circumstances of the vehicular homicide allegation.
Hay is scheduled to appear before a district court judge on Monday in Oklahoma, where she is expected to sign a waiver of extradition allowing her return to Tennessee, TMZ reported.
Court records show Hay also has a prior criminal conviction. In 2022, she was arrested and later convicted for having sexual contact with a minor. She was sentenced to six months in jail in that case.
Hay gained national attention in 2016 during her appearance on "The Voice."
During her blind audition, three of the four coaches — Pharrell Williams, Adam Levine, and Christina Aguilera — turned their chairs for her performance of Gretchen Wilson's "Redneck Woman."
Aguilera ultimately selected Hay for her team.
The audition received additional attention after Hay shared that Aguilera was her "first girl crush," which led to an onstage kiss between the two.
Hay advanced through the battle and knockout rounds and reached the top 20 contestants before being eliminated during the first week of the live playoffs.
Originally from Oklahoma, Hay began performing as a child and later built a career in country swing music before moving to Tennessee as a young adult, according to a biography.
She has released recorded music, toured nationally and internationally, and performed with multiple bands over the years.
Authorities have not said when Hay will be transported back to Tennessee or when she will make her first court appearance there.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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