Los Angeles, Ca
More human remains found at home of alleged killer of couple at nudist resort
More human remains have been found at the home of 62-year-old Redlands resident Michael Sparks, who was arrested on suspicion of murder last week in connection with an elderly couple reported missing out of Colton.
Investigators with the Redlands Police Department on Sunday were in their fourth day of an extensive search of Spark’s property at the Olive Dell Ranch Nudist Resort when they recovered the additional remains.
On Aug. 29, after police were tipped off about where the now presumed dead 73-year-old Stephanie Menard and 79-year-old Daniel Menard might be located, authorities attempted to locate Sparks at his home.
The 62-year-old had barricaded himself with a rifle inside, prompting police to use a drone and then a battering ram to tear through the house.
He was located in a cement bunker beneath the residence, the same location where a cadaver dog alerted police to bags stuffed with human remains.
Authorities said Sparks attempted to take his own life moments before he was captured, but the rifle misfired.
The Menards were last seen on Aug. 24 and reported missing the next day by a friend when they didn’t show up for church. Their abandoned vehicle was found about a half mile down from the RV Park.
The Menards and Sparks had been neighbors for years. Other nearby residents told KTLA that the trio had an ongoing feud, and that Sparks never liked the couple.
While authorities have yet to comment on how the alleged killings happened, others, like longtime friend and neighbor Irene Engkraf, have been asking their own questions.
“If [Sparks] drove that car down there, how did he come from there all the way around and up that hill without anybody seeing or knowing who drove that car,” she told KTLA’s Shelby Nelson.
Authorities say they are continuing the work of positively identifying the remains found on Spark’s property as that of the Menards.
It remains unclear if the additional human remains found on the property Sunday may be another victim or victims.
Los Angeles, Ca
Fort Irwin soldier allegedly murdered comrade
A soldier from Fontana has been charged with murder in the death of another soldier at Fort Irwin in San Bernardino County.
Spc. George Cornejo, 26, is accused of killing Spc. Andrew P. Smith on Oct. 28, military officials said in a press release.
Smith, 27, was found injured in his residence that day and later succumbed to his wounds, officials said when announcing his death. The Rye, New York, native had been stationed at Fort Irwin for more than two years.
The manner and possible motivation for the alleged murder were not released.
Cornejo has been in pre-trial custody since Oct. 29, and he’s expected to be transferred to the Naval Consolidated Brig in Miramar.
A preliminary hearing will be held to determine if Cornejo will be tried by court-martial.
Los Angeles, Ca
Vehicle, 2 occupants plunge into crowded Southern California harbor
Two people were taken to the hospital after a vehicle they were inside plunged into the harbor Sunday night in Marina Del Rey, officials confirmed to KTLA.
Details are limited and It’s unclear exactly how the incident occurred, but authorities with the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to 4675 Admiralty Way just after 6 p.m. on reports of the vehicle in the water.
L.A. County Fire Department Public Information Officer Marco Rodriguez said the two occupants were able to get themselves out of the vehicle after it went into the water.
Both were examined by medical personnel with the fire department and taken to a nearby hospital in unknown condition.
Rodriguez said that two L.A. County Lifeguard divers were deployed to ensure there were no other occupants trapped in the vehicle.
A witness, Johnny Hamcheck, told KTLA that a third person, a woman, exited the vehicle before it went into water, though officials did not confirm that detail.
Footage of the recovery effort showed crews attaching large yellow floating devices to the vehicle as it was anchored to a crane and eventually pulled out of the water and loaded onto a tow truck.
The vehicle showed heavy front-end damage, presumably from crashing through the steel railing and into the water.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing and no further details were provided.
Los Angeles, Ca
Armed robbers hit couple in broad daylight on high-end Beverly Hills street
Two people were hospitalized after a broad daylight armed robbery on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills Sunday, police confirmed to KTLA.
Officers with the Beverly Hills Police Department responded to the 400 block of North Rodeo Drive, at the intersection of Brighton Way just before 1:30 p.m. on reports of the incident.
According to a BHPD news release, a man and a woman were waiting outside a boutique when they were approached by four suspects, one of whom pulled out a gun during a physical altercation between the victims and the suspects.
“During the altercation, the suspects forcibly took two designer handbags – one from each victim – containing cash and cellphones,” police said. “One cellphone was recovered nearby. The suspects also attempted to steal the male victim’s jewelry but were unsuccessful.”
In video of a portion of the incident obtained by KTLA, four suspects all wearing dark clothing and hooded sweatshirts can be seen running from the scene. At least one of the suspects has an item, possibly one of the handbags, in his hands.
The crew was last seen running up Rodeo Drive and ducking into an alleyway.
It is unclear if anyone was injured, but the male victim was seen on the ground as the victim and another person knelt over him, one of which was yelling for help.
Medical personnel with the Beverly Hills Fire Department responded to the incident, but authorities said the man and woman sought their own medical attention at a local hospital.
Their conditions were not immediately available.
An investigation into the robbery remains ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact BHPD at 310-285-2125. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-222-8477 or leave tips online at www.lacrimestoppers.com.
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