Four individuals from Southern California have been taken into custody on charges of insurance fraud after they claimed that a bear had vandalized their cars, when in fact it was discovered to be a person in a bear costume, as per officials’ statements on Wednesday. The alleged incident took place on January 8 at Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino Mountains, northeast of Los Angeles. The California Department of Insurance disclosed that the suspects reported that a bear had damaged a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost, a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG, and a 2022 Mercedes E350, providing videos as evidence of the bear’s involvement.
Upon closer examination of the video footage, investigators concluded that the bear was indeed a person disguised in a bear costume, as stated by the Insurance Department. The group’s claims of bear-related damages led to insurance companies suffering losses amounting to $141,839. During the investigation, a bear costume complete with brown fur, a bear-shaped head, paws, and metal tools to mimic claw marks was discovered at the suspects’ residence.
In a bizarre turn of events, the videos depicting the alleged bear attacks were shown to a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, who affirmed that it was unmistakably a human wearing a bear suit. While Lake Arrowhead and the San Bernardino Mountains are known to be inhabited by bears, these animals do not engage in such behavior as wearing costumes. The only type of wild bears found in the area and throughout the state are black bears, which may sometimes appear brown despite their name. Grizzly bears, which were once present in California, became extinct due to hunting activities by the 1920s.
The accused individuals, Ruben Tamrazian, Ararat Chirkinian, Vahe Muradkhanyan, and Alfiya Zuckerman, all residents of Glendale or Valley Village, have been charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy. While the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office has received the cases for review, it remains to be seen whether the arrested individuals have legal representation to address the charges brought against them.
The elaborate scheme involving a bear costume and fake car attacks highlights the extent to which some individuals may go to commit insurance fraud. The intricate details of the bear costume, including the use of metal tools to create claw marks, demonstrate a premeditated effort to deceive insurance companies. This case serves as a reminder of the importance of thorough investigation and scrutiny in verifying insurance claims to prevent fraudulent activities from causing financial harm to insurers.
