REDLANDS, CA – California authorities have revealed the arrest of a suspect pertaining to a missing couple from a local nudist community. The police now believe the couple to be deceased.
Michael Sparks, 62, a neighbor of the missing pair, was taken into police custody on murder charges late on Thursday. The Redlands Police Department had managed to track Sparks down at his residence. After an extended negotiation, he was apprehended from beneath his house and later sent to West Valley Detention Center.
Stephanie Menard, 73, and Daniel Menard, 79, were reported missing on Sunday. The Redlands Police Department revealed suspicion of foul play during a press briefing on Thursday, spurred on by information from a local source.
Investigators are currently engaged in the search for the couple’s bodies, suspected to be in the vicinity of the arrested suspect’s property. Cadaver dogs have been employed alongside search teams for this purpose. The couple’s pet, a white shih tzu named Cuddles, remains missing.
The police were informed of the suspect’s presence at the property while conducting investigations, which led to the property being secured and, subsequently, the arrest of Sparks. The suspect’s home was severely damaged during the arrest operation. The authorities intend to carry out further search operations as soon as it is safe to do so.
The last sighting of the couple was at their home in the Olive Dell Ranch- identified as a family nudist resort- on Saturday. Their unlocked vehicle was discovered down the road from their residence on the same day. Stephanie Menard’s handbag and both of their cellphones were found inside their home, according to the police.