Redlands police used a battering ram to smash their way into a home at a nudist resort on Thursday, Aug. 29, in an attempt to find a man they believe had a role in the disappearance of a neighbor couple who have been missing since Saturday.
Police sent a robot with a camera into the home but did not see him.
The man was still at large Thursday night, said Carl Baker, a Redlands Police Department spokesman. They have not publicly identified him.
Police were searching a Redlands nudist resort, Olive Dell Ranch, on Thursday afternoon, Aug. 29, 2024, for a person of interest tied to the disappearance of a couple who went missing over the weekend. At one point, police used a battering ram on a home for which they had a search warrant.(Photo courtesy ABC 7)
Police were going door to door Thursday morning when they received a call that the tipster believed this man was responsible for whatever happened to Dan Menard, 78, and his wife, Stephanie Menard, 73. Police believe they were able to seal off the Olive Dell Ranch before the man could escape, Baker said.
Officers searched the property using K-9s and obtained a search warrant for the residence they broke into, Baker said.
“We suspect that there may have been foul play,” Baker told reporters.
The couple were last seen at their mobile home on the 26000 block of Keissel Road around 10 a.m. Saturday. The next day, a friend who often went to church with them reported them missing, Brian Cleland, a co-owner of Olive Dell Ranch has said.
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The husband is diabetic and suffers from dementia, police said, while his wife requires a cane to walk around, the co-owner said.
Also missing was Cuddles, their small dog. The Menards’ car was found down the street. Stephanie Menard’s purse was in their mobile home with her husband’s cell phone.
Olive Dell Ranch is in a canyon whose address is listed as being in Colton. Baker said the resort is accessed through a road that travels through Riverside County and then Colton, which is in San Bernardino County.
“I just want them back,” Sandy Marinelli, a neighbor who has been friends with the couple for more than a decade, told CBS LA. “They don’t deserve this. … They’re just good people. They go to church. They don’t deserve any of this.”
She said another neighbor went to the couple’s home on Sunday when they weren’t ready for church and saw Stephanie Menard’s purse and cane inside. She also said the TV and computer were left on, the station reported.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
