Rachel Morin, a mother of five from Maryland, was murdered by an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, according to police.
Jeffery Gahler, the sheriff for Harford County, announced during a press conference on Saturday that Victor Martinez-Hernandez was taken into custody late on Friday night and booked on Saturday morning.
“Five hours after meeting with [Morin’s] family and just before midnight our time, police in Tulsa, Oklahoma assisted by our federal partners, located and arrested Rachel’s murderer: Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez,” Gahler stated.
He faced accusations of both first-degree rape and first-degree murder.
According to police, the 23-year-old immigrant entered the country unlawfully in February 2023.
“We all suspected that Rachel was not his first victim,” Gahler stated. “It is my understanding that this suspect, this monster, fled to the United States illegally after committing the brutal murder of a young woman in El Salvador a month earlier, in January of 2023.”
According to Gahler, Martinez-Hernandez’s first DNA match was from an attack that happened in Los Angeles in March 2023.
Image – NBC News
“Once in our country, and likely emboldened by his anonymity, he brutally attacked a nine-year-old girl and her mother during a home invasion in March of 2023 in Los Angeles,” Gahler stated. “And as everyone I believe is aware, that was our first DNA match linking Rachel’s case to the one in Los Angeles.”
The sheriff then addressed “both members of Congress” and the White House over the situation at the Southern border.
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Gahler stated, “We are 1800 miles from the southern border.” “And American citizens are not safe because of their failed immigration policies.”
“This is the second time in two years that an innocent Harford County woman has lost her life to a criminal in our country illegally,” he stated again. “They are suspects from El Salvador who have connections to criminal groups in both incidents. This isn’t supposed to be taking place.
Victor Hernandez came to this nation in order to flee the crimes he had done in El Salvador, not to improve his life or the lives of his family. “God willing, he came here to kill Rachel and nobody else,” he declared.
“But that should have never been allowed to happen,” added Gahler.
Rachel Morin Murder Morin, 37, went missing on August 5, 2023, and her boyfriend reported her missing in August. He said that after going for a run on the pedestrian Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air, a quiet and generally safe hamlet about 28 miles northeast of Baltimore, she never came back.
The next day her body was discovered lying in a trail.
Police produced fresh sketches of Martinez-Hernandez in February; she has now been recognized.
Following DNA evidence connecting Martinez-Hernandez to the location of a home invasion in Los Angeles, California, the sketches were produced.
The Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) was utilized by the police to find a single DNA match for an unidentified male Hispanic.
An assortment of hats left behind at the site of the violent home invasion that occurred in March 2023 and injured numerous individuals, including small children, was gathered by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
The family was allegedly attacked by the suspect when he broke into the house in the middle of the night and was eventually driven away. Watchdog footage showed the man walking out the home door without a shirt on.
“I’ll cut this short because I’m feeling very emotional,” Patricia Morin, Rachel’s mother, stated. “I just want to take this time to thank all the law enforcement for all their hard work.”
“They just really cared for our family and for our daughter,” she stated. “They were going to diligently work and find the person who murdered her.”
Juniper Calloway is a dedicated journalist with 3 years of experience in covering hard-hitting stories. Known for her commitment to delivering timely and accurate updates, she currently works with MikeandJon Podcast, where she focuses on reporting critical topics such as crime, local news, and national developments across the United States. Her ability to break down complex issues and keep audiences informed has established her as a trusted voice in journalism.
