BEL AIR, MD – A 23-year-old man faces grave allegations of rape and murder linked to a Maryland hiking trail incident, along with suspicions of committing a homicide in El Salvador and an appalling attack in Los Angeles. Authorities apprehended the suspect, denoted further as Victim Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, on Friday night in Oklahoma.
Martinez-Hernandez is accused of the brutal murder of Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five. She disappeared on August 5 while running on the Ma&Pa Trail in Bel Air, and her lifeless body was uncovered the following day. Charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape, Martinez-Hernandez is detained at a Tulsa County jail without bond and under an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer, awaiting extradition to Harford County to face the charges presented against him.
Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler expressed a resolute stance on the suspect’s arrest, emphasizing the gravity of the crimes and the importance of preventing future offenses by the accused. During the investigation into Morin’s death, detectives received critical DNA evidence on May 20, Morin’s birthday, linking the suspect to a video image from a separate incident in Los Angeles that occurred just weeks after Morin’s murder.
Martinez-Hernandez’s presence in the United States was noted to be unauthorized following his alleged illegal border crossing from El Salvador in February 2023. Sheriff Gahler suggested that Martinez-Hernandez might have sought refuge in the U.S. after perpetrating another murder in his home country in January 2023. Once in the United States, the accused allegedly continued his violent actions with an attack on a 9-year-old girl and her mother during a home invasion in Los Angeles in March.
The manhunt that concluded in Tulsa involved a multi-agency response, with local officers and the FBI tracking the suspect from Prince George’s County to his final discovered location in Oklahoma. Martinez-Hernandez’s arrest occurred at a bar where initial resistance to disclose his identity was reported.
This case marks the second instance in the past two years where an individual residing unlawfully in the U.S. has been implicated in the death of a woman from Harford County, with both suspects originating from El Salvador and presumed connections to criminal gangs.
During an emotional acknowledgment, Morin’s mother lauded the persistence and dedication of law enforcement throughout the arduous 10-month search for her daughter’s killer. Reflecting on moments of waning hope, she recounted the assurances given by the lead detective and underscored the steadfast patience that ultimately led to an arrest.
As the legal proceedings advance, officials and a grieving family await the outcome of a case that has caused not only personal tragedy but incited discourse on public safety and border policy.
