Multiple California residents have been arrested by law enforcement after allegedly fabricating bear attacks on cars in order to receive insurance payouts, officials say.
Four Los Angeles County residents have been arrested thus far. Of these 4, 3 submitted insurance claims in which they state a bear attacked their vehicles and destroyed the interior, according to the California Department of Insurance. All three stated that the attacks occurred in the San Bernardino County mountain community of Lake Arrowhead, reported CBS News.
The perpetrators also provided law enforcement with supposed video evidence of the attacks occurring. However, investigators noticed that each video was filmed in the same location, outside of the same home and showcased incredibly similar attacks.
"Upon further scrutiny of the video, the investigation determined the bear was actually a person in a bear costume," reveals the CDI release. This conclusion was reiterated by a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, who stated that it was "clearly a human in a bear suit" after watching the videos.
Furthermore, images of the damage inflicted provided by the vehicle owners depict minimal damage done to the vehicles, including some light scratching on the seats.
Glendale police and the California Highway Patrol arrested Glendale residents Ruben Tamrazian, 26, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32 and Valley Village woman Alfiya Zuckerman, 39. They were charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy.
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