Crime & Safety

Man Arrested in Idyllwild, Accused of Campground Burglary, Locked Up in Banning

A man was arrested Thursday in Idyllwild and accused of burglary at a campground in the mountain community, according to the Sheriff's Department.

The burglary was reported Nov. 12 and deputies went to the campground, Sgt. Wallace Clear of the sheriff's Hemet Station said in a statement.

"The suspect, described as a white male adult with blond hair, was seen running from a storage building on the grounds," Clear said. "Further investigation indicated the suspect was a local transient, later identified as 40-year-old Kristopher Niemi."

On Jan. 16, a deputy spotted Niemi walking on Highway 243 near Ridgecrest Drive in Idyllwild, and he was arrested, Clear said.

"While searching Niemi, the deputy discovered an old college ticket stub from the 1960s that is likely a collector's item and stolen property," Clear said.

Niemi was held Thursday afternoon at Smith Correctional in Banning, where his bail was listed as $35,000, according to inmate records. He has a court date Jan. 21 in Murrieta.

Anyone with info about the owner of the ticket stub was urged to call the Hemet Station at (951) 791-3400 or Riverside County Sheriff's Dispatch at (951) 776-1099.


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