Four individuals in Southern California were arrested and charged with insurance fraud after claiming their cars were damaged by a bear, which was actually someone in a bear costume. The group alleged that a bear had entered and damaged a Rolls-Royce Ghost, a Mercedes G63 AMG, and a Mercedes E350 at Lake Arrowhead. However, further investigation revealed that the so-called bear was a person in a bear suit. Authorities found the bear costume, complete with brown fur, a bear-shaped head, paws, and metal hand tools to simulate claw marks, at the suspects’ home. The scam cost insurance companies $141,839.
The suspects, Ruben Tamrazian, Ararat Chirkinian, Vahe Muradkhanyan, and Alfiya Zuckerman, were charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy. The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the cases for a decision on charges. It is unclear if any of the individuals have legal representation.
Despite the presence of bears in the San Bernardino Mountains, where the incident occurred, they do not wear costumes. The only wild bears in the area are black bears, as grizzlies were hunted to extinction in the state by the 1920s. A biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed that the videos showed a human in a bear suit, not an actual bear.
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