Ruben Franco Moreno, a 40-year-old man, was last seen on February 1, 2017, in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and has not been heard from since. His family officially reported him missing in August 2019, more than two years after he was last seen. At the time of his disappearance, Moreno was affiliated with a Hemet, California-based religious group known as "His Way Spirit Led Assemblies."
The circumstances surrounding Moreno's disappearance are deeply intertwined with the
activities of this religious organization. Moreno and his brother, Rudy, were both members of the group, which has been described by another brother, Charlie Moreno, as "cult-like." Charlie Moreno stated that his refusal to join the church led to him being "shunned" by his brothers, with whom he had limited contact. It is believed that Ruben's involvement with "His Way" may have contributed to the significant delay in his family reporting him as a missing person.
The investigation into Moreno's disappearance gained significant momentum when it was linked to another missing person case involving a former member of the same religious group, Emilio Salem Ghanem. Ghanem was last seen in May 2023, and his disappearance is being investigated as a homicide. In a major development, in December 2025, leaders of "His Way Spirit Led Assemblies," Shelley "Kathryn" Martin and Moreno's brother, Rudy Moreno, were charged with Ghanem's murder. Another suspect, Ramon Ruiz Duran Jr., was arrested in connection with Ghanem's murder in January 2026.
The investigation into "His Way Spirit Led Assemblies" has uncovered other serious allegations. Shelley Martin and her husband, Darryl Muzic Martin, have also been charged with the 2010 murder of a four-year-old boy, Timothy Thomas, who died from a ruptured appendix after allegedly being denied medical care by the Martins. While no charges have been filed in Ruben Franco Moreno's case, authorities are actively investigating the possibility that his disappearance is connected to the religious group. Moreno is described as being 5'1" tall, weighing 195 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. He has a tattoo on his shoulder/back. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office is the primary investigating agency for his case.Last Seen: Feb 1, 2017
