A 47-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly stealing from people’s vehicles while they were attending funerals at a Riverside County cemetery, authorities said Sunday.
Kurt Gruen of Grand Terrace was arrested Saturday after leading authorities on a brief pursuit that ended in Hemet, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
In March, several people reported thefts from their vehicles while attending funeral services at a local cemetery, sheriff’s officials said. The items taken included credit cards, which were later used to commit fraudulent transactions, according to the sheriff’s department.
A Robbery Burglary Suppression Team from the sheriff’s Perris station assumed the investigation and identified Gruen as the suspect. He was located Saturday, with assistance from Cal Fire arson investigators.
Gruen was leaving the Riverside National Cemetery in the 22000 block of Van Buren Boulevard when deputies attempted a traffic enforcement stop, but he allegedly failed to yield and a pursuit was initiated. The pursuit came to an end in the area of Stetson and Cawston avenues in Hemet and Gruen was taken into custody without further incident.
He was booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of evading a peace officer, vehicle burglary, possession of stolen property and fraud-related charges and was expected to appear in court Wednesday at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Anyone with additional information about the case was encouraged to contact Deputy Daily at 951-210-1000.