RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) — The leader of a religious group in Hemet and another man were behind bars Thursday after they were arrested on suspicion of murder, according to jail records.
One of the suspects, Darryl Martin, is the leader of His Way Spirit Led Assemblies, a religious group possibly connected to the disappearance of two men and the death of a 4-year-old child in Colton.
Further details about the arrests were not immediately available.
It was more than four months ago that Redlands police served a search warrant at an address on Pleasant Street in Hemet as part of an investigation into the disappearance of Emilio Salem Ghanem.
The location is connected to His Way Spirit Led Assemblies.
Ghanem had recently left the organization but went missing after meeting up with someone at a Redlands coffee shop in 2023.
On Thursday morning, two people – Martin and Rudy Moreno – were arrested at that same Hemet location.
Moreno, 43, is now facing murder charges, as well as charges for various weapons violations. Martin was also arrested and is facing murder charges.
In an interview a few months ago, a Redlands police spokesperson said Martin was the pastor of His Way Spirit Led Assemblies and Shelly Bailey “Kat” Martin, his wife, is known as the “prophetess” for the religious organization.
Besides the missing person, Emilio Ghannem, another member of the organization was reported missing in Claremont in 2019.
In Colton, a 4-year-old boy, who was in the custody of members of that religious organization, was found dead from appendicitis.
Colton police said they originally sought involuntary manslaughter charges against two people – Darryl and Kat Martin – for child neglect for failing to seek medical attention, but the DA’s office did not file charges because of insufficient evidence.
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