Hidden Space Beneath Hemet Rental Alarms Family

Hidden space beneath a Hemet rental home has left one California family shaken and worried about their safety after they say they uncovered signs that someone had been using the area without their knowledge. Charnita Matthews said the discovery in Riverside County has made it hard for her to feel comfortable staying home alone with her four children while her husband travels.

Matthews told KTLA that the family had been renting the home for about three months when odd noises started to stand out. She said she could hear doors closing while she was in other parts of the house, and a constant alarm eventually led the family to look under the backyard deck. When Matthews’ husband and her brother-in-law, Dangelo Phillips, removed a wooden board, they found what appeared to be a basement or cellar beneath the property.

Inside the hidden space, the family says they found cleaning items such as bleach, soap and detergent, along with other materials that suggested someone had been spending time there. Phillips said the family also saw a tarp and a black tube that appeared to contain drugs. Matthews said a fan was plugged in below the house, leading her to believe the space was drawing electricity from the home. She said they had never been told about the area when they signed the rental paperwork.

“I feel like management should have done better because I have four children and my husband travels,” Matthews told KTLA. “I’m scared to be here alone.” Her concern has centered not only on the possible presence of a stranger but also on how long the space may have been in use and who might have known about it. The family has said the discovery changed how they view the home and left them uneasy about what else could have gone unnoticed.