Two men missing from Inland Empire were members of same religious organization, investigators say

Investigators have released new details as they continue their search for a missing Tennessee man who was last seen at a coffee shop in Redlands in 2023. They say that they are now looking into the disappearance as a homicide.

Emilio Salem Ghanem, who is believed to be in his mid-40s, was reported missing shortly after he visited a Starbucks on Redlands Boulevard on May 25, 2023, according to the Redlands Police Department. 

"A rented Nissan Frontier pickup that Ghanem was driving was spotted on surveillance video later that day in Grand Terrace," the release said. "Detectives have since recovered the rental truck along with other evidence." 

Police say that he rented the vehicle from a location in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was also seen at an Airbnb in Moreno Valley the day of his disappearance, police said, which was also the last time family members spoke with him on the phone.

On Monday, Aug.4, RPD investigators told CBS News Los Angeles that Ghanem had moved back to Tennessee to be closer with family after spending about two decades in Southern California. 

He is described as standing about 5-foot-7 and weighing approximately 130 pounds with hazel eyes and black hair. He was 40 at the time of his disappearance, police said. 

Police say that Ghanem was a member of "His Way Spirit Led Assemblies," a religious organization based in Hemet for nearly 20 years. They say that he left the organization shortly before he disappeared, and that he also worked for Fullshield, Inc. a pest control business owned and operated by the religious group. The business now operates under the name Maxguard, police said. 

Investigators with Redlands police said that Ghanem had returned to the area from Tennessee to try and drum up business for his own pest control company, which drew a cease and desist order from the religious group. 

They also noted that Ghanem was at the Starbucks where he was last seen for some sort of meeting, but they were unable to determine what its nature was. 

While looking into his disappearance, RPD detectives learned that another man who was a member of His Way Spirit Led Assemblies was also reported missing in recent years.

That case is being investigated by Claremont Police Department, who say that 49-year-old Ruben Moreno was reported missing in August 2019 and has not been seen since. They noted that he was also a member of the same religious organization as Ghanem. 

Moreno is described as standing 5-foot-6 and weighing about 180 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair. 

So far, detectives from RPD and CPD have been unable to make contact with anyone from the religious group, they said. 

Anyone who knows more is urged to contact RPD at (909) 551-4424 or CPD at (909) 399-5411.