Jockey Charles Jantzen (C.J.) McMahon allegedly fired a gun into a stopped vehicle at a red light in his hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana, and then sped off Dec. 27, which led to his arrest on attempted murder charges in that city after a Jan. 2 traffic stop.
These new details of the case were confirmed Tuesday afternoon by Wayne Griffin, a spokesperson for the Lafayette Police Department. McMahon posted an $80,000 bond Sunday that freed him from incarceration on charges that also included illegal use of a dangerous weapon and possession of marijuana.
Griffin told TDN that no one in the vehicle that took the gunfire got hurt. “They’re fine,” he added, explaining he could not discuss how many shots were allegedly fired or what the motive might have been because the case is still under investigation.
“[McMahon] was allegedly involved in an incident where a vehicle was parked at a red light. He pulled up in his own vehicle next to the car. He shot into the car. And then he sped off,” Griffin said. “We were able to locate the vehicle through some investigative means and [by using traffic cameras]. And in turn we were able to locate him and make an arrest.”
TDN could not find a working phone number for McMahon, nor could the Lafayette Parish District Court confirm whether he has an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
McMahon, 26, is a third-generation Louisiana-based horseman whose grandfather trained Quarter Horses. His father, a retired jockey, rode them, with C.J.’s mother booking mounts as his agent.
McMahon broke in as a jockey at age 16 in 2011, and one year ago this week he earned his 1,000th lifetime win. He has ridden regularly at various Louisiana and Texas tracks while often at or near the top of the standings, but his number of mounts and win totals have fluctuated in recent seasons.
In 2013, McMahon was suspended in Indiana for making threatening remarks to a starter prior to a race. And in 2017, he was suspended for 30 days in that state after testing positive for levels of methamphetamine and marijuana.
McMahon most recently rode at Delta Downs Dec. 28 and is next named to ride on the opening day program at Sam Houston Race Park Jan. 8.
TDN asked Robert Elrod, the public information officer for the Texas Racing Commission, if McMahon’s jockey license would be affected by the charges.
“The thing with McMahon is his license remains in good standing with us,” Elrod said. “But my understanding is Sam Houston is not going to let him ride. That’s their call. As long as he doesn’t have a conviction, he’s afforded due process.”
Dwight Berube, Sam Houston’s vice president of operations and general manager, did not return a voicemail query about McMahon’s status prior to deadline for this story.
A spokeswoman for the Lafayette Parish District Attorney told TDN that because of the way Louisiana handles criminal complaints, it could be anywhere from a few days to eight weeks before McMahon is formally arraigned on the charges that police filed.
“We’re a little bit different [in Louisiana],” the spokeswoman explained. “Arraignments are set only once the charges are accepted [by the district attorney]. So basically, he was arrested, he got bonded out, and is no longer incarcerated. The next step will be the [police] report’s going to come here. It will go into review and be assigned to a particular assistant district attorney. And then at that point they can answer any questions that are part of the public record. He’s not even in our system yet.”
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