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Police have descended on a California nudist resort where a couple in their 70s disappeared, and witnesses claim a man with a gun has barricaded himself at the scene.
Knewz.com can confirm a large law enforcement presence at the Olive Dell Ranch, the home of missing husband and wife Daniel and Stephanie Menard.
Daniel, 79, and Stephanie, 73, were last seen at the property in Colton on Saturday morning and a friend reported them missing the next day.
Their unlocked vehicle was found just down the road from the ranch, where officials said the couple had left their cell phones and Stephanie’s purse. The couple’s white Shih Tzu, Cuddles, was also nowhere to be found.
In a video posted to Facebook Thursday afternoon, an officer could be heard saying through a megaphone: “Come out with your hands up”. Sources tell us the video was taken at Olive Dell Ranch, and that a man with a gun was refusing to come out.
Meanwhile, aerial footage taken from KTLA’s Sky5 on Thursday showed SWAT officers and other agencies gathering outside the nudist ranch on Keissel Road. The outlet noted it appeared the officials were “staging for some sort of operation”, though it was unclear what exactly was taking place. We reached out to Redlands police, who are handling the case. This is a developing story.
Police previously said there was no indication of foul play, but friends and family have expressed concern about the couple’s safety.
One friend said: “There’s no way that Stephanie or Dan could have walked away from that car.
“She has a cane. It was at home, her purse, their cellphones — things they would never have left at home.”
Another friend shared: “They don’t deserve this. … They’re just good people. They go to church. They don’t deserve any of this.
“[The neighbor] went inside their home to see if they would be OK inside and they didn’t find them in there, but they found Stephanie’s purse was in there, [her] cane was in there. … [The] TV was left on, [the] computer was left on. It was just very suspicious for them to be gone.”
Olive Dell Ranch, according to its website, is a “family nudist resort” and RV park that boasts beautiful mountain views, a pool, a jacuzzi, and a clubhouse with daily activities.