New leads from investigations into disappearances of former church members in Redlands and Claremont prompted Colton Police to reopen the 2010 death investigation of 4-year-old Timothy Thomas. Timothy died after his parents signed temporary custody to leaders of the His Way Spirit Led Assemblies. The church leaders are Shelly Bailey Kat Martin and her husband, Darryl Muzic Martin, who also go by Prophetess/Pastor Kathryn Martin and Pastor Muzic. The death was not directly related to searches for Emilio Ghanem and Ruben Moreno, both former congregation members who later disappeared. Police found Timothy not breathing at the church; the coroner ruled natural causes, police reported negligence to the San Bernardino County District Attorney, and the DA declined to charge due to lack of evidence. Colton police are asking the public for information and provided a detective contact for leads.
In January 2010, police responding to a report of an ill child at the church found Timothy not breathing, and he died at a hospital, Sandoval said. The coroner ruled that Timothy perished from natural causes, Sandoval said, but police believed negligence was involved and sent a report to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office. The DA's Office declined to charge anyone, Sandoval said, citing a lack of evidence.
Sandoval said he didn't know why the parents, who he believes were church members, gave what a Colton news release said was temporary custody to church leaders or who exactly was responsible for the boy's care. Sandoval said the church kept a low profile in Colton. Services are now apparently being held in Hemet and Anza in southwest Riverside County. The congregation has an online presence on YouTube.
Collection
[
|
...
]