A Chicago man shot and killed his girlfriend this week after she removed an Apple AirTag tracker he had hidden in her car without her knowledge.
Armoni Henry, 21, was charged with first degree murder in the death of Jailene Flores, 21, on Thursday at a grocery store where she worked, WBBM reported. A judge ordered him held without bail.
Henry Had a History of Domestic Violence
Prosecutors told the court that Henry and Flores met in school and began dating and that they also worked together at a nursing home in Oak Lawn earlier this year. But their relationship began to sour, and in April, Flores filed for an order of protection, which was granted. Deputies were never able to locate him and the order was not served, however, and it expired at the end of May.
Apple’s AirTag is a tracking device that allows users to keep track of personal possessions such as keys, wallet, luggage, back pack, vehicles and locate lost items using Apple’s Find My Device feature.
Flores found the AirTag in her car on Monday. Her brother scanned the device and found that the last four phone number digits for it were the same as Henry’s phone number. Prosecutors revealed Henry has a history of domestic violence, including a conviction for battery in Peoria County.
Flores Filed for New Protection Order Against Henry on the Day of Her Murder
Two days later, on Wednesday, Henry went to the Mariano’s where Flores worked and confronted her about removing the AirTag from her car, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said. Flores, who was distraught by what happened, later told her family about the confrontation and said she had only talked to Henry because he threatened to harm both her brother and father if she stopped communication, prosecutors alleged.
Flores filed for a new order of protection the next day and received 124 messages from him over the removal of the AirTag. At 9 a.m., he arrived at the store and confronted her directly. Investigators said she took him to a back room in the store, and moments later gunfire rang out.
The store manager said he saw Henry run away. The manager chased him and saw him get in his car and drive off. Meanwhile, another employee had been in the backroom and witnessed the shooting. That employee and the manager identified Henry as the gunman, prosecutors said.
Flores, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds to her head and body, later died from her injuries. About an hour after the shooting, Henry was pulled over by police after his vehicle was identified on license plate readers. Officers recovered a 9 mm Glock, which matched the shell casings found at the shooting.