A Florida felon allegedly stalked a man by attaching an iPhone to the undercarriage of his car so that he could use the smartphone's location settings to later track and rob him.
Derrick Maurice Herlong, 38, is accused of spotting his victim shopping for high-end items at the Mall at Millennia in Orlando on February 19.
Herlon reportedly believed that the male shopper would be a good target because he was laden down with bags from Louis Vuitton and Gucci.
Police believe that Herlon and an unidentified accomplice allegedly affixed an iPhone to the victim's luxury Lexus before he left the mall.
They could track the device by using the 'Find my iPhone' setting.
Later that evening, the victim attended a party in the neighborhood of Thornton Park, where two masked men subsequently forced their way and staged an armed robbery.
Police assert Herlon and an accomplice attached the phone to the undercarriage of the robbery victim's Lexus before they tracked it using the 'Find my iPhone' app
One of the attendees at the party was fatally shot, before the two masked men stole the Lexus from out front.
The victim has been identified as 32-year-old Jacaris Rozier. He was not the owner of the Lexus, and police believe he was simply an innocent bystander during the bungled burglary.
Investigators have now arrested Herlong over the crime and he is facing charges of second-degree murder with a firearm, home invasion with a firearm, carjacking with a firearm and grand theft, according to court documents.
Prosecutors say Herlon and his accomplice later dumped the Lexus, but not before leaving an incriminating piece of evidence behind.
A tow track driver discovered a nylon bag with magnets that had been affixed to the undercarriage of the vehicle. It contained an iPhone.
Investigators determined that the iPhone was only new and that the phone's iCloud account belonged to a waitress at a local Panda Express restaurant.
One of the attendees at the party was fatally shot, before the two masked men stole the Lexus from out front. The victim has been identified as 32-year-old Jacaris Rozier. He was not the owner of the Lexus, and police believe he was simply an innocent bystander during the bungled burglary
That woman had reported that her handbag and wallet had been stolen from the eatery several weeks earlier. Police theorize that Herlon stole the bag and used the woman's identification to buy and set up the new iPhone.
One of the few phone numbers found on the iPhone was one belonging to Herlong.
Herlong was arrested at his home on an unrelated charge, before a search warrant was executed.
Police found a receipt for the iPhone in the woman's name as well as some of the items the male robbery victim had purchased during his shopping spree at Mall at Millennia on February 19.
Herlong was subsequently arrested, but has maintained his innocence.
He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the second-degree murder charge.
Jacaris Rozier was shot dead. Herlong has now been charged with second-degree murder over the death and faces up to 25 years in prison
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