Man Accused Of Murdering Woman After She Removed The AirTag He Put On Her Car

Shortly after 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 13, 2023, Jailene Flores, 21, was allegedly shot and killed by Armoni Henry, who is also 21. Earlier in the week, he had confronted her after she removed an AirTag he had placed in her car. Both incidents took place at Mariano’s grocery store in Evergreen Park, Illinois, where Flores worked, according to NBC Chicago.

According to a GoFundMe page written by Jailene’s sister, Ashley Flores, Henry was not Jailene’s boyfriend, but “a ‘friend’ who became obsessive.”

After the shooting broke out on July 13, police soon arrived to help. However, it was too late for Flores who was found in a back storage room with multiple gunshot wounds to her head and body. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

A manager witnessed Henry fleeing the scene in a Ford Focus, and he was tracked down with a license plate reader, reported PEOPLE. Henry was quickly identified as the suspected shooter, and he was taken into custody. He’s now been charged with first-degree murder. A 9-millimeter Glock was found at the time of his arrest, stated NBC Chicago, and it matched the shell casings found at Flores’s shooting.

Fox 32 reported that Flores and Henry began dating when they were in school and later worked together at a nursing home. Things apparently turned sour months before the murder. In April 2023, Flores requested an order of protection against him after he allegedly threatened her family. In the report, she described that they had a dating relationship. The order of protection was subsequently issued. However, it was never served, and it expired.

The week of the shooting, Flores’s brother found the AirTag tracking device inside her car. He discovered the registered owner’s phone number matched Henry’s number. Flores removed the tracking device, and Henry arrived at her workplace to confront her about it. The young woman was very distraught by the interaction in which he allegedly threatened to hurt her brother and father if she broke off contact with him.

CBS News shared that Henry has a history of domestic violence against both Flores and another ex-girlfriend. He has a battery conviction in Peoria County after two reported incidents of domestic violence against his other ex-girlfriend. At the time of Flores’s murder, he was on conditional discharge and already in violation of it before the shooting.

According to the Toronto Sun, Flores arrived at work on July 13, the day she died, and found that she had received 124 text messages from Henry. In them, he threatened to kill her. That morning, he parked his car near the grocery store and walked into the store and confronted her in the back storage room. Gunshots rang out, and Henry was then spotted running out of the store with a gun in his hands. The manager chased Henry, but he fled the scene.

"We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at our Mariano's Evergreen Park store located in Evergreen Park, Illinois. The entire Mariano's family offers our thoughts, prayers, and support to all affected individuals and families during this difficult time, and we have initiated counseling services for our associates. We are cooperating with local law enforcement, and the store will remain closed while the police investigation continues," Mariano's shared in a statement.

Ashley Flores, the victim’s sister, started a GoFundMe page to raise money for Jailene’s funeral expenses and to help the family move forward from the tragedy. On the page, she shares, “Unfortunately my family and I must accept that Jailene is no longer with us and is in heaven watching above us all. With profound sadness, emptiness, and despair we are asking for your help in the hardest moments in our lives.”

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic violence or abuse from a romantic partner, you can visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website, call 1.800.799.SAFE, or text START to 88788 for help. Advocates are available 24/7 to help callers talk through their situation and connect them with local resources. There is no charge to reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.