A Georgia teenager has been accused of attacking his pregnant girlfriend and using her own clothing to choke her during a domestic dispute, police said.
Incident Details
Lucas Hayden, 18, and Ja'Dyia Smith, 18, were arrested in Warner Robins, about 100 miles south of Atlanta, after an argument on April 11, according to a police report cited by WMAZ. Warner Robins Police Department officers responded around 12:15 p.m. to a call about a disturbance.
Upon arriving, they learned that Hayden and his girlfriend had gotten into a fight at her home in the city. They got into a second fight in the kitchen before Hayden dragged Smith into her bedroom, police said. He then allegedly kicked Smith, who was five months pregnant, in the stomach.
"I need to kill the baby," Hayden said, according to the police report. Hayden allegedly continued the attack by wrapping a pair of Smith's own leggings around her neck and attempting to choke her with them. After that, Hayden allegedly also used his arm to choke Smith.
Sequence of Events
According to the Warner Robins Police report, the altercation also involved Hayden stealing Smith's phone. When that happened, she allegedly tried to run him over with her car. Smith's sister claimed she tried to run Hayden over five times as he was attempting to walk away, per the report.
Hayden allegedly snatched her out of the car, took her keys, and entered the home. He initially locked Smith out of her own house after that but eventually let her back in, per the report. That was when the confrontation allegedly escalated and culminated in Hayden kicking his pregnant girlfriend.
Charges and Arrest
Both Hayden and Smith were charged with aggravated assault after being arrested on April 20, more than a week after the domestic incident. If convicted, aggravated assault can carry a sentence of at least one year in prison and up to 20 in Georgia.
Hayden also faces additional charges of kidnapping and second-degree criminal damage to property. He has been held in the Houston County Detention Center without bond since being taken into custody, according to public records. Smith was released from the detention center on April 30, Houston County records showed. She had been given a $5,000 surety bond set by a judge.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Warner Robins Police Department for further comment.
