Redland police believe two former members of a cult-like religious group in the Inland Empire are dead.
Emilio Ghanem, 40, was reported missing in 2023
“Since that time, we've been investigating this as a missing persons case until recently, when some of the information that we've received has led us to treat it as a potential homicide,” Carl Baker with the Redlands Police Department told KNX News’ Emily Valdez.
Ruben Moreno, 49, was reported missing in August 2019; however, Baker said that Moreno has actually been missing since 2017.
According to Baker, both men were former members of His Way Spirit Led Assemblies, a Hemet-based religious group.
In recent weeks, Redlands and other police agencies served several search warrants in connection with the case.
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On Aug. 6, a search warrant was conducted at a property in Hemet, where Baker said they found a stash of illegal guns.
“Converted fully automatic rifles… short-barreled rifles, ghost guns without serial numbers, those are all illegal weapons and that's part of the charge that we arrested both Darryl Martin and Rudy Moreno, and Kelvin Mackey on,” he said.
On Aug. 14, at a Laguna Hills Motel, police detained self-proclaimed prophetess Shelly Bailey “Kat” Martin and her husband, Darryl Muzic Martin, but they were released.
Police are asking anyone with any knowledge of this religious group to contact the Redlands and Claremont Police.
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