Man killed in shootout while allegedly stalking ex-girlfriend

A jilted boyfriend, apparently stalking his former girlfriend, was shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire late Sunday night.

Although the 55-year-old man was carrying identification with different names, he was identified as Robert Peak, said Bibb County County Coroner Leon Jones.

Sunday night, Peak’s ex-girlfriend, Julia Brooks, left with Brian Kim from Kim’s family’s residence in north Macon.

She soon received a security alert on her phone about an intruder outside the Kim home.

Brooks and Kim, both 27, drove back to the house and found Peak with a handgun, coming around the corner of the house, according to Lt. Randy Gonzalez, a Bibb County sheriff’s public information officer.

“Once they saw him, she knew who he was,” Gonzalez said. “(Kim) said he approached them in a threatening manner.”

Both men fired, but only Peak was hit and suffered a fatal wound.

When deputies arrived shortly after 10:20 p.m., they found Peak lying in the driveway of the two-story home, according to the release.

He was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:55 p.m., Bibb Deputy Coroner Lonnie Miley said.

Deputies found a car believed to have been driven by Peak nearby, in the driveway of North Macon Church of Christ.

The vehicle had a Louisiana license plate, but could have been a rental car, authorities said.

Kim’s house at the end of the cul-de-sac backs up to Bass Road near the church.

They believe Peak parked the car and walked across the road to the house.

Investigators were told Brooks had ended a relationship with him in another state.

Miley said Peak’s last address was believed to be Atlanta.

“He had various IDs,” Miley said. “I understand he’s lived in Seattle, Florida and New York. We can’t nail it down right now.”

A man with a similar name, Rob Peak, was featured in a 2007 “Dateline NBC” story that detailed an intense stalking of his ex-wife through a cell phone GPS tracking device.

Both Peaks were born on the same date, but the one found dead in Macon had a birth year of 1961, Miley said, while Bellevue police records show Peak’s birth year as 1960.

Bibb County investigators were working Monday to determine if they are the same person.

Peak might have been looking for Brooks the night before when a prowler was reported in the neighborhood, Gonzalez said, but deputies did not find anyone when they arrived.

Investigators were talking with Kim, Brooks and other possible witnesses as the investigation continued overnight.

Kim returned to the house after 8 a.m. Monday, but declined to speak with The Telegraph.

A short time later, Bibb sheriff’s crime scene technicians came back to the house to search for evidence in the light of day.

A metal detector beeped a few times as the deputy scanned the grass in the front yard. Evidence markers were put down near where the device alerted.

Gonzalez said they did not know yet how many bullets were fired, but Kim apparently was not hurt.

A couple living across from the Kims said they slept through the commotion, but discovered the flashing blue lights outside their front door at about 3 a.m.

They were relieved to know their neighbor was not hurt as he apparently acted in self defense.

No charges were filed as of Monday morning.

An autopsy is expected to be performed Tuesday on Peak’s body at the GBI Crime Lab in Macon, Miley said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at 478-751-7500, or call Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 1-877-68-CRIME or 478-742-2330.

This story was originally published August 29, 2016 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Man killed in shootout while allegedly stalking ex-girlfriend."