Man charged with murder in connection to elderly couple missing from nudist ranch: Police
A California couple is making headlines after vanishing from a nudist ranch last weekend.
Amid their days-long search, police announced the arrest of a 62-year-old man, Michael Royce Sparks, on Friday. He was charged and booked with murder in connection to the disappearance of 79-year-old Daniel Menard − who is diabetic and has dementia −and Stephanie Menard, 73, according to the Redlands Police Department.
The couple was last spotted leaving their residence at Olive Dell Ranch, a family-friendly nudist resort in Colton, a city in San Bernadino County.
A friend reported the couple missing at around 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 24. During their investigation, police learned that their dog, a white Shih Tzu named Cuddles, had also vanished.
The Menards' unlocked car was located down the road from their home, where their cellphones and Stephanie's purse were also found.
"There's no way that Stephanie or Dan could have walked away from that car," the couple's friend, Tammie Wilkerson, told KABC. "She has a cane. It was at home, her purse, their cellphones - things they would never have left at home."
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Redlands Police announced suspected foul play
Due to being unable to contact Sparks, who was initially considered a person of interest, police breached his home on Thursday evening and conducted "a search using remote video equipment."
Footage taken by KABC shows authorities conducting a search in the neighborhood and an armored vehicle with a ram that ripped through Sparks' home. The suspect is reportedly the couple's neighbor.
According to ABC News, Sparks was located under his home before he surrendered to law enforcement. He is being housed at the West Valley Detention Center, police said.
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected].