A man has been charged with murder on suspicion of killing his neighbors at a California nudist resort, San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson announced at a news conference.
Michael Royce Sparks, 62, faces two counts of murder in connection with the deaths of missing couple Daniel and Stephanie Menard, ages 79 and 73, authorities said.
The couple was last seen on August 24 at their home at the Olive Dell Ranch resort in San Bernardino County. Human remains were found underneath Sparks’ home after he was arrested last week following a lengthy and tense standoff.
Police said they believe the remains are those of the Menards, who lived next door.
“We know they’re dead and we know there are two victims,” Anderson said of the reasoning behind the charges.
THE CNN could not identify an attorney for Sparks or locate family members.
Redlands Police Chief Rachel Tolber said one of Sparks’ relatives led them to him.
Hours before their arrest last week, a family member had called police and said the neighbor was involved in the Menards’ disappearance.
He “admitted to killing two people and was threatening to commit suicide,” Tolber said of Sparks.
“I believe there may have been other people who received text messages, but the initial call that started our focus on him was from the family,” Tolber added.
Authorities could not discuss a potential motive for the killings and Anderson said it did not appear to have been planned.
Missing couple
Police were searching for the couple in the hills and canyon area around Olive Dell Ranch. The resort is located between the Southern California cities of Redlands and Colton, about 65 miles east of Los Angeles.
The search began after a friend who lives at the resort became concerned about the Menards when they failed to attend Sunday church as usual. Their dog, Cuddles, a white shih tzu, remains missing, police said Tuesday.
Irene Engkraf, who identified herself as the person who contacted police about the Menards, told reporters last week that she saw their car “abandoned” on the road by their home.
Entering the couple’s home with a spare key, Engkraf said she saw Stephanie’s purse and the Menards’ two phones. She then called emergency services and local hospitals to find out about her friends.
A tip led to the suspect’s arrest
After receiving a tip from Sparks’ family, police cordoned off the resort because they learned he may have been armed and barricaded, Tolber said.
Police located Sparks with a camera used to assess sewer blockages, Redlands Police Department spokesman Carl Baker said.
He was hiding inside a 5-foot-deep concrete crawl space beneath the home, which forced officers to remove the front wall of the home, Baker said.
Anderson, the district attorney, described the space as resembling a “homemade basement.”
When officers discovered him, Sparks, who was armed and barricaded, attempted to shoot himself but his gun misfired, police said. After “lengthy negotiations” with officers, Sparks voluntarily surrendered, Baker said.
A day after Sparks was arrested, firefighters and dogs found human remains under his home, police said.
The search took days due to the condition of the property, its potential for collapse and the need to remove debris with heavy equipment.
Tolber declined to discuss further details about the remains and noted that police have no reason to believe there are other victims.
This content was originally published in Man accused of killing elderly couple at nudist resort in California on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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