A Grand Terrace man is facing multiple felony charges after Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies linked him to a string of vehicle burglaries at a local cemetery, where investigators say he targeted mourners while they attended funeral services.
Kurt Gruen, 47, was taken into custody April 4 following a vehicle pursuit that ended near Stetson Avenue and Cawston Avenue in Hemet.
The investigation began in March 2026, when several victims reported that their vehicles had been broken into while they were attending funeral services at a cemetery in the area. Stolen items included credit cards, which investigators say were subsequently used to make fraudulent purchases.
The Perris Sheriff’s Station Robbery Burglary Suppression Team identified Gruen as the suspect and located him April 4 leaving a cemetery in the 22000 block of Van Buren Boulevard. Deputies, assisted by CAL FIRE Arson Investigators, attempted a traffic stop. Gruen fled, prompting a pursuit that was eventually terminated when he was taken into custody in Hemet.
Gruen was booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center on charges of evading a peace officer, multiple counts of vehicle burglary, possession of stolen property and multiple fraud-related charges.
Investigators believe additional victims may not have yet come forward. Anyone who had items stolen from a vehicle while attending cemetery services in the area is urged to contact the Perris Sheriff’s Station Robbery Burglary Suppression Team.