Phoenix mother charged with hiding son in murder case
The mother of a 17-year-old Phoenix young man charged with murder will face charges for shielding him from police after a fatal shooting.
On April 17, police found Elijah Johnson, 18, shot right outside a Budget Lodge room in Phoenix. He died after being taken to a hospital.
Four days later, Maricopa County attorneys charged Sir Amir Williamson as an adult with second-degree murder.
Police believed Williamson’s mother, Tanyelle Wiliams, had been hiding Williamson and arrested her Friday on suspicion of hindering prosecution after a police car chase.
Phoenix officers claimed in a probable cause statement that Williamson admitted to accidentally shooting his cousin, Johnson.
Williamson told police that he and Johnson got into a shouting match, which made Johnson want to leave, according to the police report.
As Johnson was leaving, he asked for a gun that the two shared, and Williamson handed it to Johnson, but it went off when he stepped on a dog, Williamson explained to detectives, according to the police report.
After the shooting, the motel’s video surveillance showed Williamson running from the motel, police claimed.
Williamson’s mother arrived at the apartment and talked to police shortly after.
Williams, 45, told them that the apartment was hers, that the teens were cousins and that they were both staying there.
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After being unable to find Williamson for days, police believed his mother was hiding him.
Williams called police to tell them that they did not have the full story about her son, but cut off communication when police told her that he needed to turn himself in, the police report explained.
Phoenix investigators followed her to Wickenburg, according to the police report.
On April 21, Wickenburg police said they spotted Williams and tried stopping her for speeding but took chase when she did not stop. It ended with Williams crashing her car near 101st and Grand avenues, police said.
Williams was arrested and accused by police of hindering prosecution by hiding her son.
Later that day, Williamson’s sister called police to tell them she would drive the teen to turn himself in.
Police arrested Williamson. He faces between 10 to 25 years of life in prison. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 1.
The same day, Williams is due in court to face one count of hindering prosecution, which comes with a possible one to three and three-quarter years in prison.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tanyelle Williams charged with hiding son from Phoenix police
