Tulsa law enforcement arrests 23-year-old man accused of murdering mother in Maryland

Authorities in Tulsa arrested a man Friday accused of several crimes, including a murder in Maryland.

Tulsa police said Victor Antonio Martinez Hernandez is accused of murdering a 37-year-old Maryland woman and assaulting a 9-year-old girl and her mother during a home invasion in Los Angeles.

Police said Hernandez was also wanted for murder in El Salvador.

The Harford County Sheriff's Office (HSCO) in Maryland confirmed that Hernandez, 23, was arrested and charged with the murder of Rachel Morin, a mother of five.

Hernandez was arrested while “casually” sitting at a bar near 21st and Garnett after the FBI notified TPD that he was in the area.

TPD detectives, patrol officers and the FBI all went to the bar and arrested Hernandez, who they said initially lied about his identity and knowledge of the crimes he was accused of.

He was booked into the Tulsa County Jail and is awaiting extradition, TPD said.

HCSO said Morin was killed while walking on a trail in Bel Air, Maryland, around 6 p.m. on August 5, 2023. Authorities said volunteers recovered her body from a drainage culvert on the following day.

TPD said authorities believe Hernandez was hiding next to a trail where she was walking before attacking and killing her. He then fled Maryland.

He is charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape, HCSO said.

“We are proud of our Tulsa police officers who stopped Hernandez’s violent attacks on innocent people,” Tulsa police said in a statement.