Armani Baker

In the early hours of April 29, 2023, the life of a young man from Waterford Township, Michigan, was violently taken during what authorities believed was a robbery. Armani Terrell Baker, a 22-year-old Black/African American man, was found by Oakland County Sheriff’s deputies just after 12:30 a.m. in Pontiac. He was in the front seat of a Ford Fusion that was stopped in the middle of Hammond Street with its doors open. Mr. Baker had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The investigation into the homicide moved swiftly, and within days, deputies arrested four suspects, all teenagers from Pontiac. The group consisted of two 18-year-old men, a 17-year-old, and a 16-year-old. Sheriff Michael Bouchard commented on the crime, stating, "The tragic loss of a life as a result of a petty robbery is an example." Charges were soon filed against the teens. Christian Harris, who was 17 at the time, was charged as an adult with first-degree murder, armed robbery, and felony firearm. An 18-year-old, Jeremiah Rodriguez, was charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery and a firearm offense.

Christian Harris’s case went before an Oakland County jury in September 2024. After deliberating for three days, the jurors could not reach a unanimous decision, and the judge declared a mistrial. A second trial was held a year later. In September 2025, a new jury acquitted Harris, then 19, of first-degree homicide. The jury did, however, find him guilty of armed robbery and one count of felony firearm.

The following month, in October 2025, Christian Harris was sentenced to serve 13 to 50 years in prison for the armed robbery conviction, with an additional mandatory two years for the firearm charge. Meanwhile, his co-defendant, Jeremiah Rodriguez, had reached a plea agreement with prosecutors. He pleaded guilty to an added count of accessory after the fact, and his original charges were dismissed. In September 2025, Rodriguez was sentenced to three years of probation and 14 days in jail, with credit for time already served.

As of October 2025, while two individuals were convicted of crimes connected to the incident, no one has been convicted for the murder of Armani Baker. A spokesperson for the prosecutor's office noted that while Harris was acquitted of the homicide, their office was not aware of any other credible theory of the crime.