Macon man jailed after armed robbery now accused of breaking man’s nose

A Macon man who served more than a decade for his part in the 1997 robbery and slaying of a Korean grocer in Macon was arrested Saturday and charged with breaking a man’s nose with the butt of a gun, according to Bibb County Sheriff’s Office warrant.

Roderick Jaqwun Curtis, 35, faces charges including aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon for the alleged assault Saturday morning at a house in the 1400 block of Buena Vista Drive. Curtis is accused of pointing the gun at the victim and saying, “You better not fight back or I will shoot you,” the warrant said.

Curtis, who also goes by the nickname “Blue,” remains in jail without bond, according to jail records. However, it’s not his first time behind bars.

In 2000, 16-year-old Curtis was sentenced to 13 years in prison plus seven years on probation for his part in the Sept. 29, 1997, armed robbery and execution-style slaying of Kwang Wong “Kenny” Pak at a west Macon convenience store, according to Telegraph archives.

Curtis and two of his brothers were part of a group that held up a Korean grocery store at 3741 Napier Ave. Before grabbing the cash register and running, one of the men shot Pak in front of his wife, according to Telegraph archives. A trail of money from the cash drawer led to Brookdale Elementary School, where the group split about $1,000.

Though a juvenile at the time of the crime, Curtis was charged as an adult. In exchange for pleading guilty to armed robbery, the original charge of felony murder was dropped, according to Telegraph archives. A felony murder charge carries a mandatory life sentence and is given for a homicide committed during the commission of another crime such as armed robbery.

Curtis was charged with armed robbery and was released from Valdosta State Prison in September 2010, records show.

On April 26, 2013, Curtis was involved in a high-speed chase with Georgia State Patrol, according to a Bibb County Superior Court indictment. Curtis was reportedly driving a BMW under the influence of alcohol. After he abandoned his car, he continued to run from troopers, the indictment said. He was sentenced in September 2014 to 180 days in jail and five years on probation.

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 6:29 PM.