In a dramatic raid, a fugitive suspected of being a hitwoman has been arrested.
British news agency MailOnline, tracked her down to a rented one-bedroom flat on the outskirts of Armenia's capital.
American citizen Aimee Betro, 44, had been wanted since a failed hit in the UK, in September 2019.
Her gun jammed as she tried to shoot her target, Sikander Ali, a clothing store owner.
She was allegedly sent on the orders of his rivals, Mohammed Aslam, 56, and his son Mohammed Nazir, 30.
Two days after the attempted assassination, Betro fled the UK and returned to her hometown in Wisconsin, USA where she went underground.
Despite a five-year international manhunt involving police from both sides of the Atlantic, MailOnline found Betro's hideout within just two days.
Her social media posts, particularly Instagram selfies and sunset photos taken from her living room, provided enough clues to locate her in the outskirts of Yerevan, Armenia's capital city.
MailOnline alerted the Police after verifying her location with CCTV footage and a copy of her passport.
The police, who previously had no leads on her whereabouts, requested a news blackout until her arrest was confirmed.
High-level sources in the UK confirmed that Betro was arrested and would be extradited back to the UK to face formal charges by the West Midlands Police upon her arrival.
Armenia, having an extradition agreement with the UK, detained her pending the arrangement of a flight back to British soil.
Life On The Run
Betro's landlord, who had been renting the flat to her for $600 a month, described her as a reclusive tenant who was often heard shouting at her cat.
Her landlord confirmed she paid rent in cash and spent most of her time indoors, working online.
Her flat, with views of the snow-capped Caucasus mountains, was more than 2,400 miles from Birmingham, where she allegedly tried to gun down Ali.
Betro, reportedly in Armenia for at least three years, told her family she was working as a DJ at an Armenian radio station.
Her social media initially showed her attending events and local venues popular with expats, but she later moved to a more secluded flat.
Betro led a quiet life from her new flat and avoided social interactions.
Her neighbors in Armenia, the ancestral homeland of the Kardashians, rarely saw her and were unaware of her criminal background.
Neighbors described her as passive and private, with occasional parties in her flat.
After news broke about her wanted status in the UK, she deleted her social media accounts and remained indoors.
The Failed Hit
Betro had traveled from the US to carry out the alleged hit, targeting Ali outside his father's home in Birmingham.
The gun jammed, saving Ali's life.
She returned later in a taxi and fired three shots through the windows of the house, but no one was hurt.
Documents revealed that she disguised herself in a hijab to carry out the failed hit and she fled to the US the next day.
After an investigation by West Midlands Police, they were able to link her to Nazir and Aslam, who allegedly hired her.
The two men had a grudge against Ali following a violent dispute at his boutique in Birmingham in July 2018.
Their convictions for attempted murder led to the revelation of Betro's involvement as the hitwoman.
Betro's history revealed a surprising profile for an alleged hitwoman.
Aftermath
Born in Wisconsin, she trained in childcare and worked for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Friends described her as a good person with no apparent malice.
However, her travels to the UK and association with Aslam and Nazir painted a different picture.
Betro was linked to the crime through financial and communication records.
Before the attempted hit, she allegedly used a customer's bank details to fund her trip.
The failed assassination saw her texting taunts to Mahamud, Ali's father, and firing shots at their home.
Following the botched hit, Betro fled to the US, with Nazir following shortly after.
Their connection was further confirmed through their travel records and social media interactions.
While on the run, Betro stayed in touch with friends and family despite the ongoing police hunt.
Betro's mother, Jeanne Johnson, expressed shock upon learning about her daughter's criminal activities.
She urged Betro to surrender, believing she had no more places to hide.
Betro's father, serving a prison sentence for methamphetamine trafficking, had not been in contact with her.
West Midlands Police continued their efforts to locate Betro, leading to her recent capture.
Nazir and Aslam faced long jail sentences, with additional charges for firearm offenses and perverting the course of justice.
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