Newly released body camera footage captured the arrest of Victor Martinez Hernandez, the illegal migrant accused of killing Maryland mom Rachel Morin. Martinez Hernandez was arrested at a bar in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 10 months into an intense nationwide manhunt for him. Morin, a mother of five, was raped and murdered while jogging on the Ma & Pa Trail in Harford County, Maryland. In the footage, officers approached Martinez Hernandez at the bar, and he complied when taken outside where he provided a fake name and claimed to not have an ID. He was eventually identified, arrested, and booked on charges of first-degree murder and first-degree rape.
Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler announced Martinez Hernandez’s arrest in a press conference, revealing that the 23-year-old had illegally crossed into the United States in February 2023. Gahler also mentioned that Martinez Hernandez was suspected of committing a murder in El Salvador prior to coming to the U.S. In addition, DNA evidence linked Martinez Hernandez to a Los Angeles attack in March 2023, where he brutally attacked a 9-year-old girl and her mother during a home invasion. Gahler criticized the immigration policies and called for more action to ensure the safety of American citizens.
Rachel Morin, the victim, was reported missing in August 2023 after she failed to return from a run on the Ma & Pa Trail. Her body was found the next day. Following the release of sketches of Martinez Hernandez in February, DNA evidence from Los Angeles tied him to a home invasion at which he left behind a hat. The suspect allegedly assaulted the family before being chased out, and surveillance video captured him leaving shirtless through the front door. Morin’s mother thanked law enforcement for their hard work and dedication in finding her daughter’s killer.
Sheriff Gahler emphasized that he believes Martinez Hernandez did not come to the U.S. to seek a better life, but rather to escape his crimes in El Salvador. He expressed frustration at the situation and condemned the fact that innocent people have lost their lives to criminals who are in the country illegally. Gahler called out the White House and members of Congress for failing immigration policies that, he believes, put American citizens at risk. He highlighted the need for stronger measures to prevent such tragic incidents from occurring in the future.
