A Texarkana man accused of shooting a former girlfriend in January 2015 wants a chance to shave the long white beard he’s grown in the two years since his arrest.
Curtis Theo Jones, 53, appeared Monday before Circuit Judge Carlton Jones for a pretrial hearing on multiple charges stemming from the Jan. 21, 2015, shooting of a woman who had acquired a protective order against him because of physical, emotional and financial abuse.
Curtis Jones’ lawyer, Public Defender Matt Stephens, told Judge Carlton Jones his client has not had access lately to a razor in the Miller County jail and asked the judge to order jail staff to provide him with the necessary accessories to do so. Stephens said he is still attempting to negotiate a plea bargain with Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Chuck Black but wants his client well groomed in the event jury selection proceeds as scheduled Monday, Jan. 30. Judge Carlton Jones agreed.
Curtis Jones was allegedly violent toward the woman during their relationship and became even more aggressive when she cut off communication with him, according to a search warrant affidavit. Curtis Jones was free on a $25,000 bond on a residential burglary charge when he allegedly shot the woman, who is listed as the victim in the burglary case.
The woman told detectives she pulled into her garage at about 8 p.m. when a man wearing a ski mask approached the driver’s side window and began shouting. The woman was unable to get her car in drive and leave before the man started shooting. One bullet shattered a car window and another hit the victim in the thigh.
Despite suffering from a gunshot wound, the woman managed to drive away. She called 911 and headed to the Bi-State Justice Center in downtown Texarkana out of fear she was being followed by the shooter. The woman was transported to a local hospital by ambulance from the Bi-State. The woman told police she recognized the voice of her attacker as Curtis Jones.
Curtis Jones was arrested the following day and has been locked up since. Bail is set at $10 million.
Black told Judge Jones that the state intends to present most of the dozen charges pending against Curtis Jones to the jury. The residential burglary case and a charge of possession of a firearm by a felon will be tried separately, Black said.
Curtis Jones is charged with attempted murder, four counts of terroristic acts, four counts of aggravated assault on a family or household member, and solicitation or hindering apprehension. The solicitation charge involves Curtis Jones’ alleged attempt to get a person to falsely provide him an alibi for his whereabouts at the time the woman was attacked. Curtis Jones is facing multiple life sentences.
