Inset: Lucas Hayden (Houston County Detention Center). Background: The municipal center where the jail is located in Houston County, Ga. (Google Maps).
An adolescent from Georgia is currently in custody following a series of escalating violent incidents involving his pregnant girlfriend, authorities in the Peach State report.
Lucas Hayden, aged 18, faces charges including aggravated assault, adult kidnapping, and property damage, as detailed in records from the Houston County Sheriff’s Office.
The events leading to these charges unfolded on April 11, with Hayden and his girlfriend, 18-year-old Ja’Dyia Smith, apprehended on April 20.
Police were dispatched to the woman’s home at approximately 12:15 p.m. on the incident date to respond to a reported altercation between the pair, based on an arrest report from the Warner Robins Police Department, as reported by Macon’s CBS affiliate WMAZ. Warner Robins, a moderately sized city, is situated roughly 20 miles south of Macon.
Upon arrival, officers discovered that Hayden and Smith had engaged in a verbal dispute. Allegedly, Hayden took Smith’s phone, prompting her to attempt to hit him with her vehicle, according to the legal documents.
A witness, identified as Smith’s sister, reportedly informed investigators that Smith made five attempts to run Hayden over as he walked away. Eventually, Hayden allegedly removed Smith from the car, confiscated her keys, and entered the residence, as stated by police.
At this point, Smith was locked out of her own house, according to the report. Hayden later let the woman inside, police said.
But the calm would not last.
The couple soon got into another fight in the kitchen during which Hayden dragged Smith into the bedroom, according to the report. There, Hayden kicked the woman in the stomach while she was five months pregnant, police said.
“I need to kill the baby,” the man allegedly said during the attack.
The defendant also used a pair of Smith’s leggings — followed by one of his arms — to choke her, according to law enforcement.
Just over a week after the knock-down, drag-out fight, both Hayden and Smith were arrested on aggravated assault charges.
Ja’Dyia Smith (Houston County Detention Center).
Hayden is currently detained in the Houston County Detention Center without bond. Smith is no longer in custody as of this writing.
