Woman fatally shot at Mariano’s in Evergreen Park filed restraining order in April, court records show

A 21-year-old woman who was fatally shot at a Mariano’s grocery store in Evergreen Park Thursday had reported domestic violence by the man who shot her and was granted a restraining order, but two attempts to serve it were unsuccessful, according to court records.

Armoni Henry, of Chicago, is facing first-degree murder charges in connection with Thursday’s shooting death of Jailene Flores, 21, also of Chicago. He was ordered held without bail Friday.

Flores had also received numerous threats via text message from Henry and earlier this week family members discovered and removed an AirTag from her car, Cook County prosecutors said Friday.

Flores filed for a restraining order against Henry, according to prosecutors, stating the two had “a dating relationship” but referencing threats Henry made against her and her family, prosecutors said.

The order of protection was granted April 19, and the sheriff’s office attempted to serve it to Henry the next day at an address listed on the petition, according to a statement from the Cook County sheriff’s office.

A resident at the home told deputies he did not know Henry. A deputy then contacted Flores to clarify the address and left a message but didn’t hear back, the statement said.

Flores attended a court hearing May 10, and the order was extended to May 31.

Deputies tried to serve the order of protection at the same address May 13 and the resident said Henry did not live there. Unlike an arrest warrant, a civil order of protection does not allow deputies to enter the home to determine whether the respondent is inside, “limited the ability to ensure that respondents are served,” the sheriff’s office said.

The office notified the court that service of the order had been attempted, according to the statement. Flores did not appear in court for a status hearing on May 31, and the order was dropped.

Flores also made two reports of domestic violence against Henry, according to a bond proffer prosecutors presented Friday, including reports made by his ex-girlfriend.

One of the reports resulted in a battery conviction in Peoria County. Henry was on conditional discharge for the battery conviction and a violation of that discharge was filed Monday and was still pending, according to the proffer.

Flores’ brother found an AirTag, or tracking device, inside her car Monday, prosecutors said, and discovered the last four numbers of the registered owner’s phone number matched Henry’s phone number.

Henry went to the Mariano’s in the 2500 block of West 95th Street, where Flores worked, on Wednesday and confronted her about the removal of the AirTag from her car. Flores was distraught by the confrontation and told her family she only talked to Henry because he threatened to harm her brother and father, according to the proffer.

Flores planned to seek another restraining order after work Thursday after receiving 124 text messages from Henry, including threats to kill her, prosecutors said.

Surveillance video showed Henry arriving at Mariano’s in a red Ford Focus at 9 a.m. Thursday and parking next to Flores’ car, which he looked into it before walking into the store, according to the proffer.

Inside the store, Henry approached Flores and they walked to the rear of the store and entered the backroom, which is only for employees and does not have surveillance video, prosecutors said.

Another employee in the backroom saw the shooting and ran out a back door, and the store manager heard gunshots and saw Henry running with a gun in his hands, according to the bond proffer.

The store manager chased Henry but he made it to his car and drove off, according to the proffer.

Evergreen Park police arrived at 9:12 a.m. and found Flores with several gunshot wounds in the back of the store, police said. The Cook County medical examiner’s office ruled Friday she died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds and ruled her death a homicide.

Six 9 mm shell casings were removed from the scene, according to the proffer.

Henry was taken into custody by the Chicago Police Department at his home one hour after the shooting. Officers found a 9 mm Glock handgun in Henry’s right pant pocket, according to the proffer.

The caliber of the Glock was the same as the shell casings found at the scene, prosecutors said

Henry’s next court date is Aug. 11.

It’s the second instance this month in which an order of protection was not served in a case in which someone was later killed.

Earlier this month, Karina Gonzalez and her daughter, Daniela Alvarez, 15, were shot and killed by her husband, Jose Alvarez.

Gonzalez obtained an order of protection about 15 days before she was killed. A deputy attempted to serve the order but Alvarez was not at home. Alvarez’s FOID card was suspended by the Illinois State Police, but his gun was never removed from his possession.