Leaders of Southern California religious group arrested as investigators continue searching for 2 missing men
The leaders of an Inland Empire religious group that has recently been connected to two men who have gone missing in recent years were arrested last week, police said.
While they continue to investigate the disappearance of Emilio Salem Ghanem, a 40-year-old man from Nashville, Tennessee, who was last seen at a Starbucks in Redlands in 2023, Redlands Police Department detectives have served several search warrants in recent weeks.
Investigators served search warrants back on Aug. 6 at homes in Hemet and Anza, which resulted in two arrests in the former location. Rudy Franco Moreno, 43, and Kelvin Lee Mackey, 58, both of Hemet, were arrested on charges related to being felons in possession of firearms, police said.
"During the Hemet and Anza searches, detectives recovered several illegal firearms, including converted fully automatic rifles, short-barreled rifles and unserialized 'ghost guns' along with electronic devices and other digital evidence," said a news release from RPD.
A week later, police served a warrant at the Laguna Hills Lodge, located in the 23000 block of Paseo De Valencia in Laguna Hills, where they found and recovered electronic devices and took two more people into custody.
They arrested Darryl Muzic Martin, 57, on illegal weapons charges. They also arrested his wife, 62-year-old Shelly Bailey "Kat" Martin, who was released shortly after she was taken into custody following a medical episode, police said.
The couple, both of Hemet, are the leaders of "His Way Spirit Led Assemblies," the religious group connected to Ghanem and Ruben Moreno, a 40-year-old Claremont man who went missing in 2017.
"He left that organization shortly before his disappearance," RPD said. "Ghanem also worked for Fullshield, Inc., a pest control business owned and operated by the group. The business now operates under the name 'Maxguard.'"
Investigators say that Ghanem returned to Southern California from Tennessee in order to garner more business for his own pest control company. They say that he previously worked for the religious group's companies before leaving.
On Tuesday, detectives then served a warrant in the 1300 block of Christobal Lane in Colton, where they recovered several more weapons, they said. One person at the home was briefly detained but released at a later time.
Redlands police have been searching for Ghanem since March 25, 2023, when he was last seen at the Starbucks in the 600 block of Redlands Boulevard. He was driving a since-recovered Nissan Frontier pickup truck that was rented. He is described as standing about 5-foot-7 with black hair and hazel eyes.
Anyone who knows more about Ghanem's whereabouts or disappearance is asked to contact RPD at (909) 551-4424.
