Murder suspects arrested in Genoa after local woman grows suspicious while trying to help

GENOA, Ohio (WTVG) — Two women wanted for murder in Maryland were arrested in Genoa Wednesday after a local woman who tried to help them became suspicious and called police.

Samantha Raebel and Vanessa Wahanganisa Tjongarero-Henderson were taken into custody by Genoa police with assistance from Ottawa County and Elmore police.

Adrienne Behrman said the women came into her workplace and appeared to be struggling. She said they told her they were homeless, and she wanted to help.

“I’ve been down and out myself—homeless, without money…you know, just not wanting to be a charity case or anything like that, and I just felt like I was led to help them,” Behrman said.

Behrman said she invited them to stay at her apartment and reached out to her church and other resources. But she said the more questions she asked, the more uncomfortable she felt.

“I started asking deeper questions about where they were coming from, where they wanted to go ... things were not adding up,” Behrman said.

Behrman said she talked through her concerns with a friend, Nikki Peters. Peters said a Cash App payment request for cigarettes prompted her to look closer, and the name on the account did not match what she had been told.

“That didn’t make sense to me, ’cause it was still Vanessa, but a different last name,” Peters said.

Peters said she searched the name online and found wanted posts that matched the women.

“[Behrman] was cool, calm and collected; I almost passed out,” Peters said.

Behrman said she called 911 right away. Genoa police said they confirmed the women were wanted, called in help from Ottawa County and Elmore police, and took them into custody without incident.

Maryland authorities said the women are accused in the killing of 67-year-old Hilde Henderson, who they said died from blunt force trauma. A motive has not been released.

The two are in the Ottawa County jail awaiting extradition back to Maryland.

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