Testimony: Man impersonated Bibb deputy to rob Margarita's headquarters

Sometime after 7 p.m. June 12, 2013, Luis Rodriguez heard someone banging on the door of Margarita's Mexican Grill's business office on Log Cabin Drive. Rodriguez is owner of three of the chain's restaurants in Macon.

Looking through the peephole, he saw what appeared to be two Bibb County deputies wearing the khaki uniforms deputies wore before switching to a gray uniform when Macon and Bibb County consolidated in 2014.

One of the men, a black man, said he had a search warrant to search the red brick house that served as the business's headquarters, Rodriguez testified Tuesday in the trial for Alfred Kanaan Moore, one two men accused of robbing Rodriguez and his secretary while impersonating deputies.

Moore, 36, is charged with burglary, armed robbery, false imprisonment, impersonating an officer, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. His trial began Monday with jury selection in Bibb County Superior Court.

Jurors likely will begin deliberations in the case Wednesday.

Moore's attorney, Bobby Bearden, told jurors in his opening statement that Moore couldn't have taken part in the robbery because he was elsewhere at the time. He said alibi witnesses will corroborate Moore's claim.

A second man charged in the case, 20-year-old William Kody Lee Stewart, testified Tuesday Moore forced him to participate in the robbery and Moore was the one who provided the law enforcement uniforms, bullet-proof vests, guns and other items used to commit the crime.

Stewart pleaded guilty to armed robbery in 2014. He is serving a 20-year sentence that includes 15 years in prison.

Rodriguez, his secretary Griselda Zabala, and Stewart identified Moore as the man who bound Rodriguez's and Zabala's hands with zip ties during the robbery.

All three said the assailants weren't wearing masks.

Zabala cried as she described how Moore searched the office for money while Stewart held her and Rodriguez at gunpoint.

"I was afraid for my life," Zabala said through an interpreter who translated her testimony from Spanish to English.

Rodriguez said he saw his name on a piece of paper Moore showed him, purportedly a search warrant, and cooperated with the men thinking they were deputies.

He said Moore told him they were searching for drugs, money and weapons upon suspicion that money was being laundered.

Rodriguez cooperated, telling Moore where to find $2,000 cash in a bag and that he had $600 in his wallet.

It wasn't until later, when he saw Moore was wearing two sets of pants, that he realized the men weren't true deputies, he said.

"That's when I started worrying for my life," Rodriguez said.

After the men left, Rodriguez locked the door and Zabala used a pair of scissors to free his hands. They dialed 911 and reported the robbery, they testified.

Stewart said he met Moore through the men dating two sisters, but didn't know him well.

He testified Moore picked him up on the day of the robbery and drove him to Moore's home where he picked up the uniforms and other items.

Moore also drove Stewart to meet with another man who gave Moore the zip ties used to restrain Rodriguez and Zabala, Stewart said.

At the Margarita's office, Stewart said he and Moore referred to each other as "sarge" and "sheriff," instead of their real names.

He said he didn't receive any money from the robbery and didn't see him again after that day.

To contact writer Amy Leigh Womack, call 744-4398 or find her on Twitter@awomackmacon.

This story was originally published March 15, 2016 at 2:37 PM with the headline "Testimony: Man impersonated Bibb deputy to rob Margarita's headquarters ."