The son of a couple reported missing on Mother's Day is a former San Diego Police officer who was once accused of trashing his million-dollar home when they lost it to foreclosure.
Robert Acosta has been searching for his mother and stepfather, Dianna Bedwell and Cecil Knutson, for several days.
Surveillance images from a casino north of San Diego show Knutson and Bedwell leaving the facility just before 2 p.m. These are the last known appearance of the couple.
San Diego County Sheriff's Deputies launched a "Silver Alert" for the couple. The last last cell phone signal was tracked to 10 miles away from Valley View Casino on Interstate 15 at Deer Springs Road.
Acosta has spent several days driving along the winding roads in this portion of the county looking for signs of the couple's white Hyundai Sonota.
Bedwell and Knutson were expected to arrive to Acosta's La Quinta home for dinner but they never showed.
In October 2010, NBC 7 once reported on Acosta after he and his wife, Monique, turned themselves in to face a felony charge.
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The couple was accused of trashing their home in the French Valley area of Riverside, near Temecula.
At the time, Robert was a San Diego police officer and was placed on administrative leave. Monique Acosta was a real estate agent at the time of the allegations.
Robert was convicted of larceny after a jury convicted him of causing more than $65,000 in damage.
He was sentenced in July 2012 to 270 days in jail.
Neighbors told NBC 7 that former home - which they called "The Castle" - was the nicest on the block.
