Redlands police have arrested a suspect on suspicion of mur*der in connection with their search for a couple who disappeared about a week ago from Colton.
Redlands Police Department spokesperson Carl Baker confirmed to KTLA Friday morning that 62-year-old Michael Sparks of Redlands was arrested in connection with the case at the Olive Dell Ranch nudist resort in the 26500 block of Keissel Road on Thursday.
Inmate records with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department show Sparks was being held on a mu*rder charge and is not currently eligible for parole.
Stephanie Menard, 73, and Daniel Menard, 79, who also have a residence on Keissel Road, were last seen on Aug. 24 and were reported missing by a friend the next day when they didn’t show up for church.
Their personal items like cell phones and Stephanie’s purse were still inside their home. The Menard’s vehicle was found unlocked with the keys still inside, parked just down the road from their house.
Both suffer from health issues — Daniel has dementia and diabetes and his wife, Stephanie, needs a cane to walk.
The couple’s dog, a small white Shih Tzu named Cuddles, is also missing, Redlands Police said.
Authorities confirmed on Thursday that foul play is suspected in the disappearance.
Sky5 was overhead when an armored vehicle ripped apart the home of the Menards next-door neighbor at Olive Dell Ranch.
“We breached the suspect’s home, which is next door to the missing couple’s home,” Baker said Thursday.
No further details, including a possible motive, have been released. There has been no word on whether either the Menards have been located or their conditions.
Officials with the Redlands Police Department are expected to hold a morning news conference to provide further details on the investigation.
