The April 11 case involved a vehicle, choking and a pregnant victim, say police.
WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — A Houston County domestic case has left two 18-year-olds charged after police said one tried to use a car as a weapon and the other later attacked his pregnant girlfriend inside a home.
The arrests of Lucas Hayden and Ja’Dyia Smith came April 20, nine days after Warner Robins police responded to Smith’s home. Hayden faces aggravated assault, kidnapping of an adult and second-degree criminal damage to property. Smith faces aggravated assault. Police records describe a single fight with several stages, creating two criminal cases from one chain of events.
Hayden’s case is the broader of the two. Police said he took Smith’s phone during an argument, pulled her from a car, took her keys, locked her out of her home, dragged her from a kitchen into a bedroom, kicked her in the stomach while she was five months pregnant and choked her with leggings and his arm. During the bedroom assault, Hayden allegedly said, “I need to kill the baby.” The public records do not say whether Smith or the pregnancy suffered lasting injury, and officials have not released medical details.
Smith’s case centers on the outdoor part of the encounter. A witness identified as Smith’s sister told investigators that Smith tried to run Hayden over five times while he was trying to walk away. Police said that allegation led to Smith’s aggravated assault charge. A car can form the basis of such a charge when investigators believe it was used in a way likely to cause serious injury. The available records do not state whether Hayden was hit, whether the car struck any object or whether video from the area exists.
The police report sets the scene at about 12:15 p.m. April 11, when officers were called about a domestic fight. The first known dispute was over Smith’s phone. Hayden allegedly took it and would not return it. Smith then got into her car, according to the report. Her sister’s statement gave police the count of five alleged attempts to hit Hayden. That witness account is one of the few detailed pieces of evidence made public, and it appears to be a major reason Smith was charged even though police also describe her as the pregnant person later attacked inside the home.
After the vehicle allegation, police said Hayden gained control of the situation by force. He allegedly grabbed Smith out of the car and took her keys. He then entered the home and locked the door, leaving Smith outside. That detail may be important because Hayden’s kidnapping charge does not depend only on the most violent part of the report. Prosecutors could look at the pulling from the car, the taking of keys, the lockout, the movement through the house or the alleged dragging into the bedroom when deciding how to frame the charge.
The report says Hayden later let Smith back into the home. Once inside, the confrontation restarted in the kitchen. Police said Hayden dragged her into the bedroom, where the attack turned toward her pregnancy. The alleged kick to the stomach and the statement about killing the baby are likely to become key facts if prosecutors pursue the aggravated assault count. The choking allegations add another serious element. Investigators said Hayden first used Smith’s leggings around her neck and then used his arm. Those details could support claims about the level of force used and the risk of serious injury.
Domestic cases often depend on a mix of witness accounts, officer observations, medical findings and statements from the people involved. The public record in this case has not yet answered several questions. It does not say who called police, what Smith told officers, what Hayden told officers, whether either person had visible injuries or whether emergency medical workers responded. It also does not say whether Smith’s sister saw the later events inside the house or only the vehicle incident outside. Those distinctions could shape how each side challenges the report.
The custody status of the two defendants also moved in different directions. Hayden was held without bond at the Houston County Detention Center after his arrest, according to public reports. Smith was no longer in custody after her arrest. Records listed her charge as aggravated assault, but the available reports did not include a detailed bond order or full court schedule. Hayden’s no-bond status suggests a judge or jail record treated his case as involving greater immediate restrictions, though the public reports did not provide the reasoning behind that status.
The case also shows how one domestic violence response can produce competing allegations. Police said Smith first escalated the fight by trying to hit Hayden with a car. Police then said Hayden responded with acts that included pulling Smith from the vehicle, taking her keys, locking her out, dragging her and assaulting her while pregnant. Those claims may be argued separately in court, but they remain factually connected. Prosecutors will have to decide whether to present the confrontation as one continuous event or as separate crimes committed by each person at different points.
Warner Robins police have not released a full investigative file. The public account is based on arrest and detention records and the police report cited by local news outlets. The absence of a full case file means the record now contains allegations, not proven facts. Hayden and Smith are presumed innocent unless convicted. No plea information was included in the reports, and no attorney statements were available in the initial coverage. The next filings may show whether either defendant contests the police account, seeks a bond change or asks for evidence to be reviewed in court.
The immediate legal question is whether prosecutors will move forward on all listed counts. Hayden’s charges expose him to a wider case because they include alleged restraint, property damage and violence against a pregnant partner. Smith’s case turns on whether the evidence supports the claim that she tried to use the car to strike him. The same witness who helped police build that charge could also be called to explain what happened before Hayden allegedly forced Smith out of the vehicle and back toward the house.
The case stood with Hayden in custody and Smith released after both were booked April 20. Court records and future hearings will determine whether the allegations remain as charged, are reduced or are presented for further prosecution. Until then, the April 11 fight remains a two-defendant domestic case built around one disputed afternoon in Warner Robins.
Author note: Last updated May 23, 2026.