Kata Hay arrested on vehicular homicide warrant

Kata Hay, an aspiring singer who gained national attention as a contestant on The Voice in 2016, was arrested on a vehicular homicide warrant, the Goodlettsville Police Department in Tennessee confirmed. Hay, whose legal name is Kata Huddleston, was taken into custody in Oklahoma following a public appeal by law enforcement seeking information on her whereabouts.

The arrest follows several days of efforts by authorities to locate Hay after she allegedly fled Tennessee. Earlier in the week, Goodlettsville police shared a photograph of Hay on Facebook and asked the public to assist in tracking her down. In their post, officers indicated that they had reason to believe Hay was traveling toward Oklahoma accompanied by a white male and may have been towing a large camper. The social media appeal proved effective, drawing tips that eventually led authorities to her location.

Local officials later confirmed that Hay, an Oklahoma native, was apprehended in her home state by a sheriff's deputy in the early hours of Wednesday morning. In a follow-up statement, the Goodlettsville Police Department thanked citizens who came forward with information, noting that their assistance directly contributed to her arrest. Police added that Hay will be extradited back to Davidson County, Tennessee, where she will face the pending charges.

According to TMZ, Hay also has an open DUI case and faces additional charges related to an incident that occurred on December 10. These alleged offenses include leaving the scene of an accident that caused property damage estimated at more than $1,500, as well as driving with an open container of alcohol. Authorities have confirmed that the vehicular homicide warrant is linked to the same incident, though specific details about the alleged accident have not yet been publicly released.

Hay's legal history further complicates her case. Court records cited by TMZ indicate that in 2022, she was arrested and convicted for having sexual contact with a minor, for which she served a six-month jail sentence.