A North Augusta woman has been arrested nearly a year after a violent carjacking and assault that left a man seriously injured in Augusta.
Stephanie Lauren Castleberry, 30, was taken into custody on Thursday and faces multiple felony charges in connection with the August 2024 incident.
Castleberry is charged with aggravated assault, carjacking, reckless driving, hit and run, and failure to obey traffic control devices. According to arrest warrants, the charges stem from a brutal carjacking that took place on August 1, 2024, at approximately 7:42 p.m. on Wheeler Road in Richmond County.
Authorities say the victim, Cody James Jennings, had stopped to assist at the scene of a vehicle accident when Castleberry allegedly seized the opportunity to steal his white 2020 GMC Sierra pickup truck, valued at $38,000.
As Jennings exited his vehicle to help, Castleberry reportedly jumped into the driver’s seat and attempted to flee. During the escape, she allegedly dragged Jennings with the truck, causing him to suffer a broken pelvis and two broken ribs. He was transported to Doctor’s Hospital emergency room and treated for his injuries, which were described as serious but stable.
According to Jennings’ sister, Kariah Kelly, he witnessed a car accident and immediately rushed to help. In the process, Castleberry, who allegedly caused the accident, attempted to bully two different bystanders to help her flee the scene.
“As Cody was trying to see if anyone was trapped in the overturned SUV, she jumped in his truck and locked the doors. He jumped on the truck to get her to stop but she punched the gas and dragged him a few feet before he was thrown into another vehicle,” Kelly said.
Jennings suffered significant injuries like road burns, two fractured ribs, and a fractured pelvis that has left him bedridden, Kelly said.
The incident prompted a months-long investigation that culminated in Castleberry’s arrest this week. She was arrested in Aiken County in March for burglary and possession of a stolen vehicle.
Richmond County authorities confirmed she was charged with strong-arm carjacking, a felony under Georgia Code § 16-5-44, and aggravated assault, a felony under § 16-5-21 of the Georgia criminal code.
Castleberry remains in custody as of Friday. No bond has been set at this time. Investigators have not disclosed the circumstances of her capture or whether she had been in hiding since the 2024 incident.
Castleberry has a long list of arrests and convictions, including for drug possession, theft by receiving stolen property and obstruction of a law enforcement. Almost all of them resulted in probation.
