An elderly couple who disappeared from a Redlands nudist ranch are now presumed dead, and police have arrested a suspect in their murders.
The Redlands Police Department arrested Michael Royce Sparks, 62, Thursday night in connection with the disappearance of Daniel Menard, 79, and his wife, Stephanie Menard, 73, of Olive Dell Ranch, according to a police news release.
Sparks was arrested on suspicion of murder and booked into the West Valley Detention Center.
Sparks, who was armed, was barricaded in a concrete bunker beneath his home when officers arrived, according to Redlands police spokesman Carl Baker.
“I won't say he was cooperative. He turned himself in after lengthy negotiations,” Baker said.
Beneath the home, which is next door to the Menards', authorities say they found human remains that they are now in the process of identifying.
The Menards and their dog, a small shih tzu named Cuddles, were reported missing by a friend on Sunday, police said.
The Menards' car was found unlocked down the street from their home, and Stephanie's purse was found inside their home along with her and Daniel's cellphones, authorities said.
Investigators were at Sparks' home Friday morning preparing to search for the couple's bodies, police said. The structure, which has significant damage, must be deemed safe before investigators can enter.
“We are currently trying to locate the victims,” Baker said during a news conference Friday morning. “We are confident that they are deceased and that they are still on the property.”
Baker would not comment on a possible motive, but resident Tammie Wilkerson, who lives next door to Sparks, told KCAL that Sparks hated the couple.
“It's a very stupid reason,” he said. “They had a tree on the property line and Dan… [Menard] “I used to go and prune the branches and he hated that.”
