A California family thought they were settling into a new rental home.
Instead, they discovered a hidden area underneath the property that appeared to have been used by someone they did not know.
Charnita Matthews said the discovery has left her afraid to stay home alone, especially with her four children while her husband travels.
“I feel like management should have done better because I have four children and my husband travels,” she told KTLA. “I’m scared to be here alone.”
Matthews, her husband and their children had been renting the Hemet home in Riverside County for about three months when a series of strange noises began raising questions.
“When I’m in another area of my house, I can hear doors close.”
The family eventually traced a constantly sounding alarm to an unexpected location: beneath their backyard deck.
Matthews’ husband and her brother-in-law, Dangelo Phillips, removed a wooden board attached to the deck and uncovered what appeared to be a sizable basement or cellar beneath the home.
The space was not simply empty.
Inside, the family found cleaning products including bleach, soap and detergent, along with other items that suggested someone had been using or accessing the area.
Phillips said they also discovered a tarp and a black tube that appeared to contain drugs.
“That’s when we found a tarp and a black tube that looked like it had some drugs in it,” Phillips said.
The hidden area also appeared to have access to the home’s electricity. A fan had been plugged in inside.
“You can see the door with the fan plugged in down there,” Matthews said. “So they’ve been using my electricity.”
Matthews said she had never been told about the space beneath the property when she signed the rental papers.
She contacted Pro Management, the company that manages the home, but said she received no response.
The Hemet Police Department sent an officer to investigate after Matthews reported what the family had found.
“They said if we see anybody down there, to call them,” Matthews said.
Since the family removed the wooden board, Matthews said she has not seen anyone entering or leaving the area.
That has done little to ease her concerns.
She remains worried about who may have known about the hidden space and whether other people could potentially be using it.
Neighbors told KTLA they were not surprised by the discovery, saying the home has had many tenants come and go, including some who were reportedly problematic.
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