Weaverville Man: 24 Years For Carjacking, Discharging Firearm, Seriously Injured Postal Worker

Asheville --  Press Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of North Carolina: Jaden Isaiah Garay, 25, of Weaverville, N.C. was
sentenced today to 24 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release 

for carjacking and discharging a firearm that caused serious bodily injury to a U.S. Postal Carrier, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to prison term imposed, Garay was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $640,582.81 to the victim and $73,868.14 to the Office of Worker’s Compensation Program.

Jessica Wagner, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), which oversees Charlotte; R.E. “Chip” Hawley, Director of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NC SBI); Colonel Freddy L. Johnson, Jr., Commander of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol; Sheriff Buddy Harwood of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office; Sheriff Banks Hinceman of the Burke County Sheriff’s Office; Sheriff Ricky T. Buchanan of the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office; Chief Chad Wilson of the Mars Hill Police Department; and Chief Allen Lawrence of the Marion Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

“Garay’s violent crime spree was a blatant disregard for the law and human life,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “His rampage put innocent lives at risk and ended with the near-fatal shooting of a postal worker simply doing her job. Today’s sentence holds Garay accountable for his reckless crimes. I commend the law enforcement agencies involved in Garay’s apprehension. Together, we will work to protect those who serve our communities.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to preserving the integrity of the U.S. Mail, and most importantly, providing a safe environment for Postal employees and the communities they serve,” said Acting Inspector in Charge Wagner. “We fully commend the hard work and countless hours put forth by all the law enforcement agencies involved, which resulted in bringing this individual to justice.”

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, at approximately 11:50 a.m., while Garay was driving his car on Interstate 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; fortunately, 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 T.R., a rural postal carrier for the United States Postal Service who was delivering mail to a residential mailbox in her Jeep Wrangler. Garay approached T.R., told her he needed her car, and pointed the handgun at T.R. 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 T.R. in the face, and T.R. fell out of her vehicle and to the ground. Garay got in the victim’s vehicle and drove off, leaving T.R. laying on the ground with a serious gunshot wound to her head.

According to filed court documents, sometime later, Garay drove T.R.’s 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 and the stolen firearm was recovered.

T.R. 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.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the USPIS, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the North Carolina Department of Correction K9 Team, the North Carolina Highway Patrol, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, Burke County EMS, Burke County Emergency Management, and Burke County Communications Center, the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, the Morganton Department of Public Safety, the Marion Police Department, and the Mars Hill Police Department for their investigation of the case and for their invaluable assistance in apprehending Garay. U.S. Attorney Ferguson also thanked Madison County District Attorney Seth Banks for his Office’s assistance and coordination with the federal investigation.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.