BEL AIR (WBFF) — In a major breakthrough, law enforcement authorities have apprehended Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez in Tulsa for the heinous murder of Rachel Morin, a beloved Harford County mother of five. The lifeless body of Morin was discovered near a hiking trail back in August 2023.

Harford County Sheriff Jeffery Gahler, during a press conference held on Saturday, divulged the details surrounding Martinez-Hernandez’s arrest. According to the Sheriff, Martinez-Hernandez, a 23-year-old citizen of El Salvador, was taken into custody late Friday night and subsequently booked on Saturday morning. He now faces charges of first-degree murder and first-degree rape.

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Sheriff Gahler wasted no time in expressing his gratitude to the Tulsa Police Department and their cooperation with federal partners. “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,” remarked Sheriff Gahler.

The Sheriff further revealed that Martinez-Hernandez had crossed the border into the United States in February 2023, adding, “It is my understanding that this suspect, this monster, fled to the United States after the murder of a young woman in El Salvador a month earlier in January of 2023.” To compound the horrors, once on American soil, Martinez-Hernandez viciously attacked a nine-year-old girl and her mother in a harrowing home invasion in Los Angeles during March 2023.

The pivotal moment in the investigation arrived when authorities managed to connect Martinez-Hernandez to the murder scene in Harford County through DNA samples. Surveillance footage of the suspect in California proved instrumental in identifying Martinez-Hernandez. “After we had the video, we knew what he looked like, but we didn’t know who he was,” Sheriff Gahler stated.

William DelBagno, the Special Agent in Charge at the FBI Baltimore field office, shed light on the process of tracing Martinez-Hernandez’s DNA to potential family members in El Salvador, ultimately leading to the identification of the suspect. With the support of local law enforcement, Martinez-Hernandez was eventually located and apprehended in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Sheriff Gahler expressed his heartfelt hope that Martinez-Hernandez’s arrest would bring solace to Morin’s grieving family and provide the Harford County community with some semblance of peace. “It is my hope and the hope of all involved, working this case, that the arrest of this suspect brings her (Morin’s) family and our Harford County community some peace,” Sheriff Gahler emphasized.

Alison Healey, the State’s Attorney for Harford County, vowed to personally lead the prosecution and ensure that justice is served for Rachel Morin and her family. “Harford County and our neighboring communities can rest assured that my office will take all steps necessary to ensure that justice is served for Rachel Morin and her family,” affirmed Healey.

As the suspect awaits extradition to Harford County, the prosecution prepares to commence its pursuit of justice for the victim’s grieving family and the Harford County community at large.

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