Three men were arrested for murder in the case of Audrey Moran and Jonathan Reynoso, a California couple who has been missing for more than three years, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department announced Saturday.
Authorities identified the men as Manuel Rios, 28, of Coachella, Abraham Fregoso, 32, of Indio, and Jesus Ruiz Jr., 41, of Stockton. All three suspects are charged with murder and have been booked into the Riverside County Jail.
According to a press release, investigators said “information obtained during this lengthy missing person / homicide investigation has led to the arrest of three suspects in connection with the murders of Audrey Moran and Jonathon Reynoso.” No further information was given on the details of the case or the possible connection between the missing couple and the suspects.
Audrey Moran and Jonathon Reynoso, who have been missing since May 10, 2017, appeared on Dateline NBC’s “Missing in America” shortly after their disappearance.
According to the Indio Police Department, Audrey, who was 26 at the time, left her sister’s home in Coachella, California on May 10. She told her family members that she was going to pick up her boyfriend, Jonathan, who was 28 years old. old at the time, in Brawley, 70 miles south, and take her home to her Palm Desert.
Several of Audrey’s family members became concerned and called the police the next day when the calls she received went unanswered. Authorities used OnStar to track Audrey’s 2010 GMC Terrain SUV. At around 9 a.m. on May 12, the car was found parked and abandoned along the westbound lanes of Interstate 10 in Beaumont, about an hour northwest of Coachella and Palm Desert. The SUV had almost a full tank of gasoline and had no obvious signs of damage, according to police reports. Forensic analysts found no signs of foul play inside the vehicle.
Later in the day, around 12 p.m. on May 12, 2017, officers from the Palm Desert Police Department received a missing persons report for Jonathan Reynoso, 28. Jonathan was last seen on May 10, 2017, at his home in Palm Desert. Palm Desert police began working with Indio police to find the couple.
Since then, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s Central Homicide Unit took over the investigation and stated in the press release that they are “encouraging the public with any useful information on the whereabouts of Audrey Moran and Jonathan Reynoso to call to missing persons. “
The families of Audrey and Jonathan have been in contact throughout the test, doing everything possible to find the couple.
They distributed flyers and bracelets with the couple’s names throughout the southwestern United States. They held candlelight vigils and fundraisers. A GoFundMe account raised over $ 10,000 to earn a reward for information on the couple’s whereabouts. The account was closed after meeting its monetary objective.
The bodies of Jonathan and Audrey have not been found.
Audrey was described as five feet tall and weighing 121 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She had a small red tattoo on her collarbone.
Jonathan was described as five feet, ten inches tall and weighing 185 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He had several tattoos on both arms.
Anyone with information about what happened to Jonathan and Audrey should call the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office at (760) -393-3544.
