Los Angeles, Ca
Remains found at Redlands nudist resort identified as missing elderly couple
Authorities confirmed the bodies that were found beneath a murder suspect’s Redlands home belonged to missing couple Stephanie Menard, 73, and Daniel Menard, 79.
The San Bernardino County Coroner’s office confirmed the news on Thursday after the couple’s next-door neighbor, Michael Sparks, 62, was arrested and charged with the couple’s murder.
The Menards were first reported missing on Aug. 24 when their friends said they failed to show up for church.
Inside the couple’s home, located at the Olive Dell Ranch Nudist Resort, their personal items such as cell phones and purses were found. Their abandoned vehicle was parked just down the road from their house with the keys still inside. Their dog, a small white Shih Tzu, was also missing.
On Aug. 29, authorities descended on the nudist ranch and began searching for Sparks who was believed to be hiding on property grounds.
After police were tipped off about where the couple’s bodies might be located, authorities surrounded Sparks’ home. He had barricaded himself with a rifle inside, prompting police to use a drone and then a battering ram to tear through and destroy the house.
Sparks was eventually found hiding in a cement bunker beneath his home, in the same location where a cadaver dog alerted officers to bags stuffed with human remains.
Authorities said Sparks attempted to take his own life moments before he was captured, but his rifle misfired. He eventually surrendered and was taken into custody.
Neighbors told KTLA that the suspect and the elderly couple had been neighbors for years and had an ongoing feud. One of the disputes reportedly involved a tree between their properties.
“He was mad because Dan cut some tree limbs on a tree that belonged to him and he has held a grudge ever since then,” said Tammie Wilkerson, a neighbor. “I know he didn’t like the Menards. He said it many times that he hated them. But I never thought he would do something like this.”
Details on how the couple was killed or a possible motive behind their murder remains under investigation.
San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson and Redlands Chief of Police Rachel Tolber thanked the community for their assistance on the case.
“You have a community that, for all intents and purposes that we’ve seen throughout the week, is a tight-knit community,” Anderson said. “Obviously, people were very concerned about the Menards. There have been vigils that have been held there.”
“I’m very thankful for all of the partners, including our community, that were able to come together to see the investigation through to fruition,” Tolber added.
Sparks was charged with two felony counts of murder. He remains in custody and is expected to appear in court later this week.
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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