Northeast
WATCH: Body camera footage of migrant accused in murder, rape of Maryland mom Rachel Morin
Newly released body camera footage captured the arrest of the illegal migrant accused of killing Maryland mom Rachel Morin.
In footage released by the Tulsa Police Department and obtained by FOX 5, officers encounter Victor Martinez Hernandez at a bar in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
His arrest came 10 months into an intense nationwide manhunt.
The mother of five, whose children range in age from 8 to 18, was raped before being murdered in August while jogging on the Ma & Pa Trail in Harford County, Maryland.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT INDICTED FOR RACHEL MORIN’S MURDER IN ‘CRUCIAL STEP’: FAMILY LAWYER
WATCH BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE:
In the footage, officers arrive at a bar where Martinez Hernandez was sitting.
After the initial encounter, he complied when taken outside the bar, and police began asking him for his identification.
Martinez Hernandez told the officers he didn’t have an ID and provided a fake name.
“You live in El Salvador?” one officer is heard asking.
The migrant’s identity was revealed, and officers snapped pictures to circulate the long-awaited capture of Morin’s suspected killer.
Rachel Morin was dragged off a hiking trail Aug. 5, 2023, and brutally murdered. (Family handout)
In a press conference, Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said Victor Martinez Hernandez was arrested in Tulsa and booked.
“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,” Gahler said.
He was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape.
MARYLAND SHERIFF’S ‘GUT’ SAYS RACHEL MORIN WAS ‘STALKED’ BY SUSPECT BEFORE HER MURDER
Victor Martinez Hernandez will be extradited to Maryland June 20. (Tusla Police Department)
The 23-year-old migrant illegally crossed into the United States in February 2023, police announced.
“We all suspected that Rachel was not his first victim,” Gahler said. “It is my understanding that this suspect, this monster, fled to the United States illegally after committing the brutal murder of a young woman in El Salvador a month earlier, in January of 2023.”
WATCH MARTINEZ HERNANDEZ’S ALLEGED LA ATTACK:
RACHEL MORIN MURDER: MARYLAND POLICE TIE CRIME SCENE DNA TO LOS ANGELES ASSAULT, HOME INVASION
Gahler said the first DNA match for Martinez Hernandez was from a Los Angeles attack in March 2023.
“Once in our country, and likely emboldened by his anonymity, he brutally attacked a 9-year-old girl and her mother during a home invasion in March of 2023 in Los Angeles,” Gahler said. “And as everyone I believe is aware, that was our first DNA match linking Rachel’s case to the one in Los Angeles.”
The sheriff turned his attention to the crisis at the Southern border, directing his remarks to the White House and to “both members of Congress.”
“We are 1,800 miles of the southern border,” Gahler said. “And American citizens are not safe because of their failed immigration policies.”
Rachel Morin (Harford County Sheriff’s Office)
“This is the second time in two years that an innocent Harford County woman has lost her life to a criminal in our country illegally,” he said. “In both cases, they are suspects from El Salvador with ties to criminal gangs. This should not be happening.
“Victor Hernandez did not come to this country to make a better life for him or his family. He came here to escape the crimes he committed in El Salvador. He came here to murder Rachel and, God willing, no one else. But that should have never been allowed to happen.”
Rachel Morin murder
Morin, 37, was reported missing in August 2023 by her boyfriend, who said she never returned after going out for a run on the Ma & Pa Trail, a pedestrian trail in Bel Air, a quiet and typically safe town about 28 miles northeast of Baltimore, Aug. 5, 2023.
Her body was found on a trail the next day.
The Harford County Sheriff’s Office in Maryland posted signs at Ma & Pa Trail trailheads June 17, 2024, announcing the arrest in the August 2023 murder of Rachel Morin. (Harford County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook)
In February, police released new sketches of Martinez Hernandez.
The sketches came after DNA evidence linked Martinez Hernandez to the location of a Los Angeles home invasion.
Police used the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), which led them to a single DNA match for an unidentified Hispanic male.
RACHEL MORIN MURDER: MARYLAND SHERIFF’S OFFICE RELEASES NEW SKETCHES OF SUSPECT
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) collected a hat left behind at the site of the March 2023 home invasion that turned violent, leaving multiple people, including minor children, injured.
Richard Tobin, far left, denied he had any role in girlfriend Rachel Morin’s death after her body was found on a Maryland hiking trail Sunday. (Facebook)
The suspect allegedly broke into the home in the middle of the night and assaulted the family inside before he was chased out. Surveillance video footage captured the man leaving, shirtless, through the front door.
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“I’m going to make this short because I’m very emotional,” Rachel’s mother, Patricia Morin, said. “I just want to take this time to thank all the law enforcement for all their hard work.
PHOTOS OF INITIAL SEARCH:
“They just really cared for our family and for our daughter,” she said. “They were going to diligently work and find the person who murdered her.”
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As Hartford celebrated America’s 250th birthday Saturday, one of the city’s oldest attractions welcomed visitors for one of the few days each year when admission is free.
The Bushnell Park Carousel opened its doors at no cost as part of the city’s Independence Day festivities, giving families a chance to experience a piece of Hartford history while escaping the summer heat.
“It’s one of the most incredible pieces that we have here in downtown Hartford,” said Morgan Fippinger, executive director of the Bushnell Park Conservancy.
The carousel itself is older than many visitors realize.
“It is a 1914, so it’s a true antique carousel,” Fippinger said.
For many Hartford residents, the carousel has long been a fixture in Bushnell Park. For others, including newcomers to the city, it offered a chance to experience one of Hartford’s most recognizable landmarks for the first time.
Fippinger said the free ride day is one of the conservancy’s ways of participating in Hartford’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
“The free days when we have thousands of people in the park, it can be a lot,” Fippinger said. “It’s a lot of impact on the park and the infrastructure of the park. But also it’s an amazing time for so many people that are not necessarily always from Hartford, get to come in and see the amazing resources that Hartford has.”
While the Bushnell Park Conservancy cares for much more than the carousel, Fippinger said the attraction often serves as an introduction to the city’s rich history.
“There’s an amazing amount of history here, resources here,” Fippinger said. “And, you know, so we are kind of the eyes and ears for the City of Hartford.”
The air-conditioned carousel building also offered visitors a chance to cool off as temperatures climbed during the holiday celebration.
“We do want to make sure that everybody stays hydrated,” Fippinger said. “And the carousel building is air conditioned. So if people are feeling hot or feeling like they need to get cool, they can come in and take a ride. Plus, when you’re on the ride, it feels amazing.”
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Caesars Entertainment expanded on its partnership with three Wabanaki Nations tribes to launch Maine online casinos when the industry goes live later in 2026.
Following weeks of relative radio silence, some progress has been made regarding the Maine online casino industry, which is expected to launch sometime in 2026. According to a press release, Caesars Entertainment expanded on its existing partnership with three Wabanaki Nations tribes in the state. As a result, when the Maine iGaming market goes live, the state will feature three Caesars online casinos.
Caesars snatches three of four Maine online casino licenses
Under state law that passed earlier this year, there are four licenses up for grabs for incoming iGaming platforms, all of which come via the four Wabanaki Nations tribes.
By expanding its agreement with the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Mi’kmaq Nation and the Penobscot Nation, Caesars Entertainment will account for three of those Maine online casino licenses.
In an announcement, it opens the door for the rollout of Caesars Sportsbook & Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino and the flagship Caesars Palace Online Casino, which likely will feature a welcome offer via a Caesars Casino bonus code.
The long-term agreement, per the announcement, sets up Caesars to debut those platforms in 2026, pending regulatory approvals.
The expanded partnership comes on the heels of the 2023 introduction of Caesars’ online sportsbook. In addition to a commitment to offer a best-in-class and responsible online gambling experience, Caesars will invest in local workforce development by employing, training and developing members of each tribe to provide “meaningful financial support to help fund tribal community programs and initiatives,” according to a press release.
Caesars expanded partnership ‘a meaningful opportunity’
There has been no update as to if the Passamaquoddy Nation will partner with a legal gambling online casino for that fourth and final license, although it does have DraftKings in its corner for online sports betting.
Until then, it is only Caesars Entertainment platforms that residents can look forward to enjoying when the market launches in 2026.
“Together, we’ve built a strong and responsible sports wagering experience, and this next phase reinforces our commitment to our tribal partners and to delivering a differentiated, localized digital gaming experience for Mainers,” Eric Hession, president of Caesars Digital, said in a statement. “We’re grateful to Gov. Janet Mills, the Maine Legislature and the Maine Gambling Control Unit for their continued leadership and thoughtful approach to gaming in the state.”
Chief Kirk Francis of the Penobscot Nation added that integrating these new online casinos from Caesars “represents a meaningful opportunity to build on that foundation” already in place with Caesars Entertainment.
Lawsuit still pending regarding Maine online casinos
While there has been some movement for the future of legal casino games online in Maine, there remains a lawsuit still pending in the state.
Churchill Downs – which operates Oxford Casino Hotel, one of two commercial land-based casinos in Maine – sued to have the iGaming law invalidated, saying that the state legislature “blessed a race-based monopoly” by awarding online casino licenses to tribal partners only.
Penn Entertainment, which owns Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway, is not involved in the litigation, but CEO Jay Snowden criticized Maine’s framework in a Q4 2025 earnings call.
Snowden emphasized how the property has been in operation since 2005, investing hundreds of millions of dollars and being “as involved in the community” as any entity can be. Yet Maine lawmakers chose to “hand a monopoly to a third party that’s never invested a dollar in the industry.”
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Bettors must be 21 years or older and otherwise eligible to register and place wagers at online casinos. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, please seek assistance from trained professionals such as the Problem Gambling Help Network at 1-800-MY-RESET.
Cambridge Police are investigating a fatal shooting near the intersection of Broadway and Norfolk Street early Saturday morning.
Around 5:30 a.m., Cambridge Emergency Communications received a call for a person laying on the ground near the intersection of Broadway and Norfolk Street. Officers were dispatched to the area, and Paramedics from the Cambridge Fire department declared the person dead on scene. The victim had an apparent gunshot wound, according to Cambridge police.
There were not many details initially released, but an active investigation is underway by the Cambridge police, Middlesex District Attorney’s office and Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s office.
Additional information will be shared when it becomes available.
Police are asking anyone with information surrounding this incident to contact the Cambridge police department at (617) 349-3300.
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