<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2Oi7aw_0vjbEtqB00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2Oi7aw_0vjbEtqB00" width="1320" height="743" >Baltimore (WBFF) — A Baltimore County caregiver says Maryland Child Protective Services put her “in the line of fire” and didn’t tell her.Angela Studivant, for five years, worked as a Child Care Specialist at The Children’s Home in Catonsville. During that time, she says she cared for Walter Martinez, the MS-13 gang member who murdered 20-year-old Kayla Hamilton in Harford County. And the whole time, she had no idea she was caring for a killer.“When did you find out Walter was a gang member and murderer?” Project Baltimore’s Chris Papst asked Studivant.“On the news, Mr. Papst. On the news,” said Studivant. “I cannot believe it.”Studivant say she was stunned last week when she sat down Monday evening and turned on Fox45 News.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=28aYK8_0vjbEtqB00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=28aYK8_0vjbEtqB00" width="648" height="365" >“I seen the young man, and I recognized his face, I just kept on saying, I know this young man. And I was like, oh my gosh, that's Walter,” Studivant explained.The Children’s Home is a foster care group home that, according to its website, provides “child, youth and family services” to promote “long-term well-being and success.”During her time at the home, Studivant cared for hundreds of children, including Martinez.“I think that was awful and despicable. That put me in the line of fire that I didn't even know that I was in,” expressed Studivant.On July 27, 2022, Martinez killed 20-year-old Kayla Hamilton in Harford County. After the murder, Aberdeen Police quickly identified Martinez, 16, as the main suspect. According to charging documents, Martinez was an MS-13 gang member who entered the country illegally as an unaccompanied minor.As police investigated Kayla’s murder, Child Protective Services took custody of Martinez. Project Baltimore reported last week that police told CPS Martinez was dangerous and should be isolated. Instead, he was placed in The Children’s Home where he was assigned to Studivant. She tells Fox45 News she was not informed of Martinez’s past.“We don't have security there to protect us,” explained Studivant. “So when you don't have nobody there to protect you, if a murderer comes in and he wants to kill, he can do it.”At one point during his stay, Studivant told Fox45 she took Martinez to the dentist. For over an hour, he sat behind her in the back seat as she drove.“He could have hurt you,” said Papst.“He sure could. He sure could have,” replied Studivant. “I do not think that they should have accepted him into The Children's Home. That was very risky. And they need to thank their lucky stars that this young man didn't strike again, because there was plenty of ways that he could.”It was also while at The Children’s Home that Project Baltimore has now uncovered Martinez enrolled as a student at Lansdowne High School.“He shouldn't have been enrolled in school,” Studivant told Project Baltimore. “I have children. I don't want them sitting next to a murderer in school.”So, how dangerous is Martinez? In August, he was convicted of murdering Kayla and sentenced to 70-years in prison. Project Baltimore has also learned when Martinez was in jail, he wrote a letter to a pastor in El Salvador, which was intercepted by authorities.In the letter, according to Harford County State’s Attorney Alison Healey, Martinez admits to murdering four people and raping two – which Healey believes includes Kayla.“If I were to make an educated guess at it, I would say that the other three were in El Salvador. But I don't know that to be a fact,” said Healey.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3upTWQ_0vjbEtqB00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3upTWQ_0vjbEtqB00" width="648" height="365" >In a statement to Fox45 News, The Children’s Home said it, “Cannot comment on matters dealing with their youth” and to contact the Department of Human Service, which oversees CPS, if Fox45 News had questions about Martinez. So, Project Baltimore reached out and received this response from DHS, “We are unable to disclose information about child welfare cases.”“I don't think that he should have ever been outside at all because we were all in danger. MS-13 gang member like, come on, be for real,” Studivant told Project Baltimore.Martinez only spent a few months at The Children’s Home over summer of 2022 and into the fall. Studivant says he was causing problems and misbehaving. In October 2022, Martinez was sent to a foster home in Harford County, where he enrolled and attended Edgewood High School until he was arrested in January 2023.“Do you think that the foster parent would have known of Martinez's past?” Asked Papst.“I would think that they did not know,” replied Studivant. “Because why would you say yes? You're putting all your other kids in jeopardy. That's not fair. We're here to protect them. We're not here to put them in more harm. That's a problem.”Project Baltimore contacted the Harford County foster parent who took in Martinez to ask if they were told by CPS about Martinez’s background. The foster parent declined to answer any of Project Baltimore’s questions.</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

'In the line of fire': Maryland childcare worker unknowingly assigned MS-13 murder suspect

Baltimore (WBFF) — A Baltimore County caregiver says Maryland Child Protective Services put her “in the line of fire” and didn’t tell her. Angela Studivant, for five years, worked as a Child Care Specialist at The Children’s Home in Catonsville. During that time, she says she cared for Walter Martinez, the MS-13 gang member who murdered 20-year-old Kayla Hamilton in Harford County. And the whole time, she had no idea she was caring for a killer.