Local man arrested in Long Beach murder

Riverside County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that their Special Enforcement Bureau arrested 38-year-old William Altpeter in Idyllwild on Thursday November 14. Long Beach Police, in a press release, reported that Altpeter has been booked for murder, suspected in the November 1 murder of a 72-year-old Long Beach man in the 4700 Block of Greenmeadow Road.

The release stated that search warrants served there and in Idyllwild uncovered evidence, and that the two men were acquainted. The death was first reported as a possible suicide by Long Beach Fire personnel, who found the man inside his home with a gunshot wound “to the upper body.” Police, in conjunction with the medical examiner, “determined the wound was not self-inflicted.”

The identity of the victim is still being withheld pending a next of kin notification. Altpeter is being held in lieu of $3 million bail, and was set to be arraigned on Monday, November 18.

Altpeter apparently moved to Idyllwild from Long Beach in the fall of 2023. His Facebook page included the story of his purchase of a large trailer, taking possession of it in October. On November 14th he posted “I love the look and feel of downtown Idyllwild. Home for the next few months.”