DeKalb County authorities have arrested a suspect in the death of a 17-year-old Gwinnett County resident who was found with gunshot to his face earlier this month.

Jerell Curtis, also 17, faces charges of aggravated assault and murder in the June 9 shooting, police records show.

It was around 3:30 p.m. that day when DeKalb County police found Erasmus Pratt dead shot outside an apartment on Central Drive.

Police learned there’d been some sort of confrontation between Pratt, a Lawrenceville resident, and the gunman, according to warrants released Wednesday. The warrants say Curtis was seen walking with his girlfriend toward the victim at the Stone Mountain-area complex Terra Creek Apartments.

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The girlfriend, who isn’t identified in the documents, is said to have walked away from the young men before she heard gunshots. Curtis told her the victim had tried to rob him and he shot Pratt, the warrants say.

It isn’t clear what police believe happened to lead to the shooting.

The suspect, who lives near Atlanta in DeKalb, fled and was booked in the county jail Tuesday on after deputies picked him up near Lithonia, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office said.

He’s held without bond.

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Joe Rich had moved to 3935 Paces Manor 2.5 year ago. on Tuesday, Sept. 22,2009, he was trapped at his house with no way out - but a boat. He has been ferrying various things back and forth and is surprised he still has power. Vinings residents were dealing with a major flooding issue Tuesday, as the Chattahoochee River made its way along the banks near Paces Ferry Road.  Many residents with upscale homes were hit hard, some for the second time since an earlier post millennia flooding episode. Since early Monday, seven lives have been taken and several other people remain missing. The record-setting rains also have closed schools and roads and have left people stranded in their homes. The river's level near Vinings was at 27.36 feet before daybreak Tuesday after cresting at 28.1 feet overnight. Flood stage is 14 feet, and anything above 20 feet is considered "major" flooding. (Photo: John Spink, jspink@ajc.com)

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