Redlands police have arrested a suspect in their search for a couple who disappeared about a week ago from Colton.
Inmate records with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department show 62-year-old Michael Sparks is being held at West Valley Detention Center.
The record shows Sparks was arrested around 9:45 p.m. Thursday on the 26000 block of Keissel Road and is not currently eligible for parole.
Redlands Police Department spokesperson Carl Baker confirmed to KTLA Friday morning that Sparks is the suspect in the disappearance of Stephanie and Daniel Menard who also live on the 26000 block of Keissel Road.
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The home of the missing couple’s next-door neighbor was raided and destroyed by SWAT Team members and law enforcement on August 29, 2024. (KTLA) -
The home of the missing couple’s next-door neighbor was raided and destroyed by SWAT Team members and law enforcement on August 29, 2024. (KTLA) -
The home of Daniel Menard and Stephanie Menard in Colton. (KTLA) -
Daniel Menard and Stephanie Menard are seen in an image provided by the Redlands Police Department.
Stephanie Menard, 73, and Daniel Menard, 79, were last seen on Saturday, 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. Their 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 Thursday afternoon when an armored vehicle ripped apart the home of the Menards next-door neighbor at the Olive Dell Ranch nudist resort.
“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, were released.
Officials with the Redlands Police Department are expected to hold a 7 a.m. news conference to provide further details on the investigation.