Investigators share new details in 2019 disappearance of Los Angeles County man connected to religious group
Investigators are releasing new details on a Claremont man's disappearance in 2017, who has recently been connected to another man missing from the Inland Empire since they both belonged to the same religious group.
Ruben Moreno, 41, was last seen in Dec. 2017 at a home in the 3900 block of Swarthmore Court, according to the Claremont Police Department. They say that he was one amongst members of a religious organization known as "His Way Spirit Led Assemblies."
Detectives noted that Moreno was living at the residence with other members of the group at the time. None of them live at or occupy the residence any longer, police noted.
Though he wasn't seen after then, family members didn't report him missing until August of 2019.
Since then, police have been unable to locate any leads that led to Moreno's location. He is described as standing about 5-foot-6 and weighing around 180 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes.
"We are aware of public interest in possible connections between this case and a separate missing persons investigation out of Redlands," CPD said in a press release. "At this time, the only similarity between the two cases are the individuals' ties to His Way Spirit Led Assemblies."
The case they're referring to is that of missing Tennessee man Emilio Salem Ghanem. He was reported missing from Redlands in 2023 after visiting a Starbucks and has not been seen since. Redlands Police Department investigators are looking into his disappearance as a potential homicide.
Ghanem, who is in his mid-40s, is said to be about 5-foot-7 and weighs around 130 pounds. He has hazel eyes and black hair.
In recent weeks, investigators have shared new details on his disappearance, disclosing that he was a member of the same religious organization for nearly two decades and worked for a pest control company owned by the group.
Anyone with more information on either of the men's whereabouts is urged to contact CPD at (909) 399-5411 or RPD at (909) 551-4424.
