Fugitive nabbed

in Banner Elk
By Melanie Davis
melanie@highcountrymedia.net

A Rutherford County man who has been on the run nine months was arrested Wednesday by officers of the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Sugar Mountain Police Department and the Avery County Sheriff’s Office.

George Thomas Taylor, 40, of 821 Jackson Loop Road, Flat Rock, has allegedly been living in Boone under the alias of Tim Campbell and working in construction.

Rutherford County Sheriff’s investigators discovered this information and contacted the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office at approximately 9 a.m. Wednesday morning. Officers in Rutherford have two felony warrants for Taylor on charges of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and assault on a female stemming from a March 24 incident.

Taylor is accused of assaulting two men inside a Forest City Food Lion. He allegedly injured the men with a knife, cutting both in the neck, chest and face areas, causing serious injury. The charge of assault on a female occurred during the same incident. Taylor also allegedly threatened and pushed a woman, who was reportedly pregnant with his child at the time.

It was determined Taylor was working at a construction site in Banner Elk. Officers immediately responded with tactical deployment and Taylor was arrested on site without incident.

Taylor was transported to the Watauga County Magistrate’s office, where bond was set at $1 million.

Deputies of the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office will be transporting Taylor back to face charges on the outstanding warrants by Friday.