Rachel Morin, a Maryland mother of five, was murdered by Victor Martinez-Hernandez, an illegal migrant from El Salvador, police announced. Harford County Sheriff Jeffery Gahler disclosed during a press conference that Martinez-Hernandez was apprehended in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with assistance from federal partners.
Martinez-Hernandez, who had crossed into the United States illegally in February 2023, has been charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape. His arrest follows a DNA match linking him to Morin’s case.
Sheriff Gahler expressed suspicion that Morin was not Martinez-Hernandez’s first victim. He explained that the suspect fled to the United States after committing a murder in El Salvador in January 2023.
Once in the U.S., Martinez-Hernandez allegedly attacked a nine-year-old girl and her mother during a home invasion in Los Angeles in March 2023. This attack provided the first DNA match that eventually led to the connection with Rachel Morin’s murder.
Maryland Mother Murdered by Illegal Migrant from El Salvador, Arrested in Oklahoma
The sheriff criticized U.S. immigration policies, holding them responsible for the safety of American citizens. He highlighted the incident as the second time in two years that a woman from Harford County had been killed by an illegal migrant from El Salvador with gang ties. Gahler emphasized that such crimes should not be happening, pointing to the failures in immigration enforcement as a critical issue.
Rachel Morin was reported missing on August 5, 2023, after going for a run on the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air, Maryland. Her body was found the following day. DNA evidence linked Martinez-Hernandez to a violent home invasion in Los Angeles, which helped identify him as the suspect.
The Los Angeles Police Department had collected a hat left at the scene of the home invasion, which provided the crucial DNA match through the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).
Rachel Morin’s mother, Patricia Morin, expressed her gratitude to law enforcement for their diligent efforts in solving her daughter’s murder. She acknowledged the hard work and care shown by the authorities in bringing the perpetrator to justice. This case underscores the broader issues of immigration policy and public safety, as highlighted by Sheriff Gahler’s remarks during the press conference.
