Man accuses ex-girlfriend of ‘set up’; Sallisaw woman charged in assault

A Sallisaw woman is facing a felony count of domestic assault and battery with a dangerous weapon after she allegedly shot at her ex-boyfriend with an air gun last month.

Rhonda Crissell, 22, was charged May 2 and a warrant was issued for her arrest the same day, according to Sequoyah County court records. She received a $7,500 bond and is scheduled for a May 17 arraignment with Associate District Judge Kyle Waters.

On the evening of April 25, dispatch received a call from a male party who alleged his ex-girlfriend, Crissell, had taken him to an area of Kerr Dam on South Highway 59 and set him up to be “jumped” by another male.

The man said he was able to get away, but as the suspects were leaving, they reportedly shot at him with a CO2-powered BB pistol. He said he didn’t want a deputy to respond, but he’d come to the Sheriff ’s Office the following day to make a report.

About 20 minutes later, the man called back and said he was being chased by the individuals on South Highway 59 near Highway 141. Dispatch reportedly lost contact with the man, but had his last known location.

Sequoyah County Sheriff ’s deputy Cody Parkerson reported he found the man walking down the roadway. The man said he and Crissell had been arguing the last few days when Crissell asked him to come to Kerr Dam with her so they could talk.

The man agreed to do so, but said when they got there, he exited the vehicle and saw an unknown male coming from the river. He said the man allegedly threatened to harm him, and then Crissell got out of the vehicle and pulled out the CO2-powered BB pistol.

The man said he pulled his machete out and told them to get back and to leave him alone, according to the probable cause affidavit. He said he was able to get away from the individuals, but when they were leaving, Crissell reportedly began shooting at him with the BB gun while driving off.

The man said as he was walking home, he saw the individuals sitting in Crissell’s vehicle in a business parking lot. He said he called 911 again because he feared they would try to harm him, according to the affidavit.

He said while on the phone with 911, one of the individuals got out of the vehicle and began chasing him on foot down the highway. He said Crissell then drove up and picked the individual up, prior to the deputy’s arrival.

Parkerson reported he and Deputy Jeff Neighbors went to Crissell’s residence in Sallisaw to speak with her and the subject, who was identified as Austin Day, 37. Neighbors spoke with Day in his patrol unit, while Parkerson spoke with Crissell.

Crissell said she and Day took the man to Kerr Dam to talk about the recent arguments between them. She claimed they left the man there because he started “acting crazy.” Crissell then told the deputy she didn’t wish to make any further statements regarding the incident, according to the affidavit.

Parkerson then told Crissell he would be filing arrest warrants for both her and Day based on the information he’d received.

Day told authorities they did plan on setting up the man, and that he did come up from the river bank carrying a fishing pole and flashlight. Day also reported admitted to making threats to do harm to the man “because he wanted him to know what was coming.” Day stated during the argument, he did throw the flashlight at the man, but Crissell never shot at him with the BB gun.

Day was arrested and transported to the Roland Police Department for an unrelated warrant. Crisell was never arrested or detained, but was informed there’d be a warrant request for her.

District Attorney Jack Thorp said if found guilty of the charge, it is punishable by up to one year in the county jail or up to 10 years in prison.