On 2-21-2012 at 8:58 PM, a security guard at the Camelot Retirement Community (800 W. Oakland Avenue, Hemet) called police to report he had confronted a suspect on the property, and the suspect ran away from him. The suspect was last seen jumping over the wall near the north side of the complex.
Officers responded quickly and immediately set up a perimeter. One officer then contacted and detained a male subject matching the description given by the security guard. The suspect, later identified as 19 year old Eric Kesselmark of Hemet, had what was believed to be stolen property on his person. Officers were able to identify the victim as a resident of Camelot and made contact with her. The 93 year old victim had no idea that the suspect had broken into her home and that he had stolen things from her, and she was asleep the whole time.
Officers and then later Hemet Police detectives interviewed Kesselmark and he was fairly cooperative with them. Additionally, a senior citizen’s hearing aid, worth $2000.00, that had been stolen in a previous burglary was recovered from Kesselmark's neighbor. Kesselmark is believed to be responsible for at least nine separate residential burglaries within this retirement community.
At the time of this writing, Kesselmark remains in custody and will be booked at the county jail with a bail of $225,000.00