Montgomery County police say two women wanted in connection with the murder of a Silver Spring woman have been arrested in Ohio after a resident recognized them from media coverage.
Police identified the suspects as Vanessa Wahanganisa Tjongarero-Henderson, 29, of Clarksburg, Maryland, and her girlfriend, Samantha Raebel, 36, of Phoenix, Arizona. The pair are charged with first-degree murder in the May 22 death of Hilde Henderson, 67, who was Vanessa Tjongarero-Henderson’s mother. An autopsy determined Hilde Henderson died from blunt-force trauma injuries.
Investigators have not announced a motive. Authorities say a nationwide search generated multiple tips before the women were located in Genoa, Ohio. CBS News reported the resident, Adrienne Behrman, had allowed the women to stay in her home after they claimed they were fleeing a toxic living situation. She became suspicious after discovering one woman’s identity through a Cash App transaction and searched her name online. The suspects are being held at the Ottawa County Detention Center awaiting extradition to Maryland.
