Authorities search for missing California couple last seen leaving home on nudist ranch

REDLANDS, Calif. (AP) — Authorities in southern California are searching for a missing couple last seen leaving their home on a nudist ranch over the weekend.

Stephanie Menard, 73, and her husband, Daniel, 79, were reported missing Sunday to the Redlands Police Department by a worried friend, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Police said the couple’s unlocked car was found later Sunday, not far from their residence, and both their phones, along with Stephanie Menard’s purse, were still inside their home.

The couple’s pet dog, a small Shih Tzu named Cuddles, is also missing, the newspaper reported.

Police said Daniel Menard is diagnosed with diabetes and has dementia. He and his wife were last seen Saturday morning near their home.

The couple’s friend, Tammie Wilkerson, told KABC-TV that the Menards live on the Olive Dell Ranch nudist resort about 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.

“They’re very sweet people,” Wilkerson said. “There’s not a mean bone in their body at all, which makes this very confusing.”