Four people in Los Angeles County are facing charges of insurance fraud and conspiracy for staging a fake bear attack while wearing bear costumes, the Department of Insurance announced Wednesday.
The initial suspects were Ruben Tamradian, 26, of Glendale, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, of Glendale, Vae Muradkanyan, 32, of Glendale, and Alfiya of Valley Village. Mr. Zuckerman, 39, was demanding insurance payments for their cars. Lois Ghost claimed a bear broke into her car in Lake Arrowhead on Jan. 28 and caused damage to the inside.
However, the insurance company suspected fraud after examining security camera footage.
“Further review of the video revealed that the bear was actually a person wearing a bear costume,” the Ministry of Health said in a statement.
California Department of Insurance The Department of Insurance claimed that a person wearing a bear costume carried out the fake bear attack.
When authorities investigated, they discovered two other similar claims made on the same date and location to two different insurance companies.
Other claims involving a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350 also involved fake bears breaking into cars and leaving damage.
The same video footage was submitted as evidence in other claims.
A total of four people were arrested in Los Angeles County for insurance fraud.
A Fish and Wildlife Service biologist was brought in to review the footage to prove that it was not actually a bear that damaged the three cars seen in the video.
“They also opined that it was clearly a human in a bear costume,” the insurance agent said.
Detectives searched the suspect’s home and found a bear costume.
The suspects allegedly defrauded the insurance company out of $141,839.
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