Clothing, cleaning supplies and other belongings found beneath the property led the family to believe someone had been staying there.
HEMET, CA — A Riverside County family says they made an alarming discovery at their new home after finding belongings beneath the property that appeared to show someone had been using the space without their knowledge.
The family, whose experience was reported by KTLA on Aug. 11, said the discovery left them frightened and concerned about who may have been staying underneath the Hemet home. Items found in the area included clothing and cleaning supplies, according to reports. The available reporting did not establish who left the belongings or whether that person was still using the space when the family discovered it.
Among the items shown or described were detergent, bleach, soap and personal belongings. Taken together, the objects led the homeowners to believe the area had been used for more than simple storage. The family said they had not known anyone was staying beneath the house.
The discovery is especially unsettling because the family had recently moved into the property. It remains unclear when the belongings were first placed beneath the home, how frequently the space had been used or how someone may have gained access. No identity for the person suspected of staying there had been publicly confirmed in the reporting available early Wednesday.
Hemet is in Riverside County’s San Jacinto Valley. The Hemet Police Department provides law enforcement services within the city, but publicly available department information reviewed Wednesday did not identify a news release describing an arrest connected to the family’s discovery.
The belongings themselves show that someone had apparently been spending time in the area, according to the family’s account, but they do not establish how long the person had been there. Authorities had not publicly confirmed the family’s estimate of the duration in the material available for review.
The case also leaves several questions unresolved, including whether the person entered the space before or after the family took possession of the home and whether anyone else knew the area was being used. Those details had not been publicly established as of Wednesday.
No suspect identification, arrest or criminal charge tied to the discovery could be independently confirmed from the available official information. The family was left trying to secure its new home while the circumstances surrounding the belongings remained unclear.
Author note: Last updated August 12, 2026.