Jaden Isaiah Garay
Burke County Sheriff Banks Hinceman was among those joining U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement. According to court documents and court proceedings, Garay stole a loaded semiautomatic handgun and several loaded ammunition magazines from his relatives’ home following an argument with them. Court records show that, on September 5, 2023 at approximately 11:50 a.m., while Garay was driving his car on I-26 near Mars Hill, the defendant used the stolen gun to fire a shot into a passing vehicle with an underage passenger inside. The bullet shattered the front passenger window and was lodged in the vehicle; it did not hit the occupants. The bullet was later recovered by law enforcement and matched the stolen ammunition.
Following the shooting incident, Garay drove into the town of Mars Hill, where he abandoned his vehicle, taking the stolen firearm with him. Garay then walked through a residential neighborhood, breaking and entering into a home while the homeowner was inside. Garay encountered the homeowner, threatened to shoot her dog, and ordered her to get on her knees. The homeowner refused to do so and told Garay that if he was going to shoot her, he would have to do it while she was standing. Garay then went to the garage, where he tried to start one of the vehicles. He was unsuccessful, so he left the residence and continued walking through the neighborhood.
According to court records, as Garay was walking around the neighborhood, he encountered a rural postal carrier for the United States Postal Service, Teresa Ramsay, who was delivering mail to a residential mailbox in her Jeep Wrangler. Garay approached Ramsay, told her he needed her car, and pointed the handgun at her. The victim attempted to comply with Garay’s demand but had to pull forward slightly to exit the vehicle because her door was blocked by a mailbox. Garay then shot Ramsay in the face, and the victim fell out of her vehicle and to the ground. Garay got in the victim’s vehicle and drove off, leaving Ramsay laying on the ground with a serious gunshot wound to her head.
According to filed court documents, sometime later, Garay drove the stolen vehicle onto I-40, where he was spotted by law enforcement. Police officers began a pursuit of the vehicle with lights and sirens activated. Garay refused to stop and instead fled at a high rate of speed. Officers deployed “stop sticks” on the interstate, but Garay did not stop even after he drove over the stop sticks. Garay eventually exited the interstate, and continued to elude officers, driving three miles further on backroads. He eventually came to a dead end where he abandoned the victim’s Jeep and fled on foot into a wooded area, still armed with the stolen firearm. Dozens of law enforcement officers searched for Garay, who spent the night hiding in the woods. Early the next morning, Garay was taken into custody in Burke County and the stolen firearm was recovered.
The victim sustained life-threatening injuries from the gunshot wound. Some of the victim’s injuries are permanent and she faces a lengthy recovery. On April 15, 2024, Garay pleaded guilty to carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Garay is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
Rob Eastwood-WHKY, contributed to this story