Jaden Isaiah Garay, a 25-year-old from Weaverville, North Carolina, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for carjacking and discharging a firearm that seriously injured a U.S. Postal worker. The announcement was made by Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to his prison sentence, Garay is required to pay restitution totaling $714,450.95.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson stated, "Garay’s violent crime spree was a blatant disregard for the law and human life." He added that the sentence holds Garay accountable for his actions and commended the law enforcement agencies involved in apprehending him.
Jessica Wagner of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service emphasized their commitment to ensuring safety for postal employees and praised the efforts of all involved law enforcement agencies.
Court documents reveal that Garay stole a semiautomatic handgun from relatives after an argument and later fired it at another vehicle on I-26 near Mars Hill. The bullet did not injure anyone but was recovered by authorities.
Garay then abandoned his car in Mars Hill and broke into a home where he threatened the homeowner before leaving when unable to start her vehicle. Later, he encountered T.R., a postal carrier delivering mail in her Jeep Wrangler. After demanding her vehicle at gunpoint, Garay shot T.R. in the face as she tried to comply with his demand.
Following this incident, Garay fled in T.R.'s Jeep but was pursued by police on I-40. Despite officers deploying stop sticks, he continued driving until reaching a dead end where he abandoned the vehicle and hid overnight in nearby woods before being captured.
T.R.'s injuries were life-threatening with some permanent damage requiring extensive recovery time.
On April 15, 2024, Garay pleaded guilty to charges related to carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury and using a firearm during a violent crime.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville with significant support from various law enforcement agencies including USPIS, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service among others across multiple counties.
