WASHINGTON (WBFF) — Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler is set to testify before Congress Tuesday as lawmakers examine sanctuary policies and their impact on public safety.Gahler, who has been outspoken about immigration enforcement for years, says he plans to bring two Maryland murder cases to the center of his testimony: the killings of Rachel Morin and Kayla Hamilton.“I want them to understand the harm that comes, the public safety that’s undermined, by allowing ultra-sanctuary immigration policies to take hold,” Gahler told FOX45 News.ALSO READ | Trump administration expands immigration crackdown with worldwide visa pauseIn 2023, 37-year-old Rachel Morin was murdered while out on the Ma and Pa Trail in Harford County. Victor Martinez-Hernandez, who was in the country illegally, was later convicted in her killing.A year earlier, 20-year-old Kayla Hamilton was murdered in Aberdeen. Walter Javier Martinez, who was also in the country illegally, was convicted in that case.What I want them to remember when I testify, these are two stories that our community can tell, but there are communities like ours from one corner of this country to the other,” Gahler said.The two cases have become part of a larger debate in Maryland over cooperation between local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities.Gahler has repeatedly called for greater cooperation, arguing that restrictions on immigration enforcement can undermine public safety.Supporters of policies such as Maryland’s Community Trust Act have argued that limiting certain cooperation with federal immigration authorities helps build trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement.Supporters have also argued that the policies help ensure immigrants receive due process and place limits on how federal immigration officers operate in Maryland.Gahler said his testimony before the House Judiciary subcommittee will focus on what he sees as the public safety consequences of sanctuary policies.“That is not public safety. That’s stupidity,” Gahler said.Still, he said he hopes lawmakers on both sides of the aisle can find common ground on immigration policy.“Hopefully Democrats and Republicans alike can put their heads together and actually get something done for the American people,” Gahler said.As lawmakers continue debating immigration policy in Washington, Gahler said he wants them to remember the two Maryland women whose cases will be central to his testimony: Rachel Morin and Kayla Hamilton.

MIDDLE RIVER, Md. (WBFF) — A Baltimore County property owner spent much of the summer renovating a vacant Middle River house and preparing it for sale. Then, police say, a man with a history of “almost identical squatting situations” moved in.The allegation has turned a dispute over the property on Armor Street into a broader question about Maryland’s struggle to stop unauthorized occupants from taking over vacant homes: How could someone police say has been connected to similar cases allegedly do it again?A Baltimore County Police Department incident report obtained by Spotlight on Maryland identifies the occupant as 45-year-old Germarcco Dante Trayham. Police wrote that Trayham produced a lease but could not reach the people who allegedly provided it.A house on Armor Street in Middle River, Md., outside of Baltimore, was taken over in mid-August 2026 by a squatter whom police have repeatedly found in properties in the area. (Steve Pierce/Spotlight on Maryland)The report also said Trayham “has been involved in almost identical squatting situations” at other vacant properties.For neighbors Chuck Snyder and John Callick, the first indication that something was wrong came when they noticed activity at the recently renovated house. Both live across the street and have watched from their front porches and security cameras as the property dispute has unfolded.The neighbors said they have repeatedly seen a man, woman and child coming and going from the house, including overnight, and a white Mercedes-Benz being driven into and out of the garage.What got my attention was hearing all the commotion,” Snyder said. “I was like, what’s going on out there?”Callick had watched the home’s owner renovate the previously foreclosed property for weeks. He said he even gave him weed-whacker string while the work was underway.Then the house was listed for sale for more than $438,000. Soon afterward, Callick said he watched unfamiliar people move in.A house on Armor Street in Middle River, Md., outside of Baltimore, was taken over in mid-August 2026 by a squatter whom police have repeatedly found in properties in the area. (Steve Pierce/Spotlight on Maryland)The property’s owner asked not to be identified because multiple of his properties have been taken over by alleged squatters, including a location Spotlight on Maryland reported on a year ago.Within days of the new occupants moving in, Callick said, the owner and a real estate agent arrived.ALSO READ | ‘Street justice’: Maryland’s Squatter King removal business fills area divideSnyder remembers the owner’s reaction more vividly.“He started flipping out,” Snyder said. “We’re like, ‘What’s going on?’ And he’s like, people are living in the house.”Police arriveBaltimore County police arrived at the property during a real estate sale showing shortly before 4 p.m. on a rainy Aug. 20.The related incident report obtained by Spotlight on Maryland shows officers identified the occupant as Trayham.Baltimore County Police Case Report: Germarcco Dante TrayhamPDF previewPreview PDFBaltimore County Police Case Report: Germarcco Dante Trayham – Suspicious Person/Squatting – August 20, 2026 (Baltimore County Police Department)View PDFCallick said he spoke with officers and told them he knew the actual owner because he had watched him work on the house. He also recalled an encounter with the man inside.The gentleman who is in the house now looked at me and I looked him in the eyes and he said, ‘I don’t know what’s going on here,’” Callick said.Spotlight on Maryland asked if Callick believed him.“Absolutely not,” he said. “Absolutely not for a second.”Maryland court records reviewed by Spotlight on Maryland show Trayham has an extensive criminal history that includes armed robbery and theft convictions, along with handgun- and drug-related cases. He has also been convicted federally for possessing a handgun as a felon.Seeking Trayham’s accountSpotlight on Maryland went to the Middle River property on Wednesday to seek Trayham’s account of the dispute.A reporter repeatedly knocked on the main door and called out Trayham’s name. Spotlight on Maryland also went to the garage, where neighbors said occupants had been parking vehicles. No one answered.ALSO READ | Baltimore squatter’s ‘disco’ bedroom highlights property takeover crisisUnable to locate a working phone number for Trayham, Spotlight contacted his mother.Moments later, while the news team was still outside the house, a man identifying himself as Trayham called.Spotlight on Maryland’s investigative journalist Gary Collins attempted on August 27, 2026, to make contact with a squatter who police records show took over a Middle River, Md., house. (Steve Pierce/Spotlight on Maryland)Trayham initially agreed to speak off camera and said he would call again in 15 minutes to arrange an interview.He called back but declined to answer questions. Trayham also said he was not home.ALSO READ | Maryland owner locked out as alleged squatters order DoorDash, police walk awayMinutes after the news crew left, a neighbor sent Spotlight a photograph showing a white Mercedes pulling out of the home’s garage.For Callick, the dispute has changed life on the block.“My head is on a swivel,” the military veteran said. “I’m watching across the street to see what is going on constantly.”A familiar problem, with another twistThe Middle River dispute comes as Maryland prepares to implement a new law targeting one of the tools that have repeatedly surfaced in squatting disputes: allegedly fraudulent leases.ALSO READ | Social media squatter network? Baltimore property manager and occupant come face-to-faceSpotlight previously documented the case of University of Maryland School of Medicine professor Ze Wang, who said a person using a fake lease took over his Southwest Baltimore townhome for 59 days, leaving an estimated $80,000 in damage. The case became part of a broader push in Annapolis to strengthen laws involving fraudulent rental documents.Fake leases were also central to the dispute involving Tamieka Goode and Corey Pollard, who took over a $2.3 million Bethesda home during the 2025 Independence Day weekend.Shortly after 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, nearly a dozen Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department deputies converged on a $2.3 million Bethesda, Md., home taken over by squatters. Deputies were joined by more than two dozen laborers and property security experts. (Steve Pierce/Spotlight on Maryland)The difficulties property owners face in removing unauthorized occupants have also created a market for private contractors.One of them, “Mikey” of WolfPack, advertises “Squatter King Removal” services.Me and my wolves, we go above and beyond to get these houses back,” Mikey told Spotlight in July.After months of reporting by Spotlight on Maryland and mounting attention to squatting cases, Gov. Wes Moore signed legislation in May making it illegal to create a counterfeit real-property lease with the intent to defraud. Creating or helping create such a document can carry a felony penalty, while knowingly possessing one with fraudulent intent can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor.But the law does not take effect until Oct. 1.RELATED | After Spotlight on Maryland exposed squatting problem, state lawmakers actFor the Middle River homeowner, that means the immediate problem remains unresolved. He renovated a vacant house to sell it, and he told Spotlight he is trying to regain control of it from occupants police say produced a lease they could not verify.Chuck Snyder, a longtime Middle River, Md., resident, told Spotlight on Maryland on Thursday, August 27, 2026, that he is prepared to defend his property if necessary. (Steve Pierce/Spotlight on Maryland)For the neighbors across the street, the unanswered question is what happens in the meantime.Synder said he isn’t doing anything different in the interim, vowing to protect his own property by any means necessary. Callick aruged his routine has already changed.“Now I’m peeking out my windows every day,” he said.Have you experienced or had direct knowledge of squatting or unauthorized occupancy occurring in Maryland? Do you have any tips related to this story? Send news tips to gmcollins@sbgtv.com or contact Spotlight on Maryland’s hotline at (410) 467-4670.Follow Gary Collins on X and Instagram. Spotlight on Maryland is a collaboration between FOX45 News, WJLA in Washington, D.C., and The Baltimore Sun.

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Car thefts are on the rise in Baltimore, and police confirm investigators have handled about a dozen cases this year involving a high-tech theft method that can allow thieves to steal vehicles without getting their hands on the keys.Back in June, Highlandtown resident Blanca Tapahuasco said her 19-year-old son walked outside with his car keys in hand, only to discover his Acura was nowhere to be found.“I even said, Sammy, ‘Are you sure you locked the car?’ And he said, ‘Mom, I always lock my car,’” Tapahuasco said.ALSO READ | Suspects fled after stolen car hits BPD patrol car in southwest BaltimoreWhat made the theft even more confusing, she said, was the lack of any obvious sign that someone had broken into the vehicle.“There was no evidence left that somebody actually broke a window,” Tapahuasco said.Exactly how her son’s car was stolen remains unknown. But, community safety advocate Arch McKown says he is hearing from both neighbors and police about thieves using new technology to target push-to-start vehicles.“They just disappear,” McKown said. “It’s still uncommon, but it’s definitely increasing — is the use of electronic devices to steal a car.”The tactic is often referred to as key fob cloning. Depending on the method, thieves can capture, relay or mimic a key fob’s signal, essentially tricking a vehicle into believing the real key is nearby.Baltimore Police confirmed to FOX45 News that investigators are seeing the method locally.“As a member of the Regional Auto Theft Task Force (RATT), BPD is aware of this national theft method and has investigated about a dozen cases involving this method this year. BPD fist noticed this method being used this summer,” a department spokesperson said.It’s like this invisible thief,” Tapahuasco said. “What can anyone do about it?”BPD said one precaution is surprisingly simple, think about where you leave your keys when you get home. Police advise residents not to keep vehicle key fobs near a front door, window or other area close to the exterior of a home. Instead, residents can move them farther inside and consider storing them in a bag or box designed to block electromagnetic signals.BPD also recommends using a steering wheel lock, locking vehicle doors, removing valuables and never leaving a running vehicle unattended. Steering wheel locks are available to residents at each of Baltimore’s police districts.For Tapahuasco’s son, however, the damage has already been done.“You can’t just replace a car,” she said.ALSO READ | VIDEO: Suspect’s car stolen while committing burglary in Howard CountyTapahuasco said her son saved his own money to purchase his first vehicle. Without it, he now relies on rideshare services to get to and from work, adding another expense on top of losing the car itself.“He was justified to be angry to say, you know, this person has ruined what I work for,” Tapahuasco said. “And now he’s thinking, why even stay here?”Baltimore Police Department data shows 3,003 vehicles have been stolen across the city so far this year, a 4% increase compared with the same period last year. But, some parts of Baltimore are seeing significantly sharper increases. Vehicle thefts are up 25% in the Northwest District and 39% in the Southwest District. In the Southeast District, where Tapahuasco lives, 344 vehicles have been stolen so far this year — an average of at least two vehicles every day.“It is both heartbreaking. It’s criminal. It is unacceptable,” Tapahuasco said.

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