Man Arrested Months After Rachel Morin’s Hiking Trail Slaying, Suspect Allegedly Fled El Salvador After Murder: Sheriff

A suspect has been arrested in connection with the killing of Rachel Morin more than 10 months after the Maryland mother of five was found slain on a hiking trail in Harford County.

Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez was arrested late on the night of Friday, June 14, in Tulsa, Okla., Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said at a press conference Saturday.

Morin, 37, was found dead on Aug. 6, 2023, a day after her boyfriend reported her missing, saying she had gone for a run on the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air, Md., PEOPLE previously reported. She was found dead the next day when a search party volunteer discovered her along the trail.

At the press conference, Gahler thanked local and federal authorities for their work on the investigation.

“Rachel’s homicide does not get solved, there is no arrest without all of us working together,” Gahler said.

Martinez-Hernandez has also been linked to a home invasion in Los Angeles, during which a woman and child were attacked, Gahler claimed.

A DNA link between Morin’s killing and the home invasion was discovered in August 2023, and surveillance footage of the suspect from the Los Angeles home was released to the public before a subsequent sketch was released months later. However, authorities were not able to identify the alleged suspect until May 20.

Gahler said Morin’s family was notified about the arrest warrant shortly before Martinez-Hernandez was taken into custody.

The sheriff said Martinez-Hernandez illegally entered the United States in February 2023, having left El Salvador, where he is accused of murdering a woman a month before.

Morin’s mother, Patricia Morin, briefly spoke at the press conference and thanked everyone who worked on the investigation.

“They’ve been diligently working very hard and they’ve been patiently working through all of the leads,” Patricia said. “It’s because of that we have an arrest today. I am very thankful and just very grateful.”

Martinez-Hernandez will face first-degree murder and rape charges in Maryland, according to Gahler, but will first need to be extradited from Oklahoma, where he is currently in custody.

It is not immediately clear if he has retained an attorney.