The footage is shocking. Southern California has been free of brown bears for more than a century, but a brown bear apparently used a door handle to enter a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost. It then roams around the car, raking the leather seats with its powerful claws.
Officials say it wasn’t a frightening beast, but rather a person wearing a bear costume and using kitchen tools to shred meat.
And, according to the California Department of Insurance, the video was not a lucky catch, but a staged performance submitted as part of an insurance fraud scheme by four people.
The California newspaper reports Wednesday that Ruben Tamradian, 26, of Glendale, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, of Glendale, Vae Muradkanyan, 32, of Glendale, and Valley Village resident Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, was arrested and charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy. Insurance Bureau.
The suspects produced fake bear videos in two Mercedes-Benz vehicles, a 2015 G63 AMG and a 2022 E350, and submitted these videos as part of fraudulent insurance claims, the department said. He is also suspected of having done so.
According to the Department of Health, a bear costume with claws attached was found at the suspect’s home on Wednesday.
Detectives said a bear costume was found at the suspect’s home.
(California Department of Insurance)
The Department of Insurance’s fraud division launched an investigation called Operation Bear Claw after an insurance company examined the recording of the January 28 Rolls-Royce incident and became suspicious that something suspicious was going on. .
Upon closer inspection, detectives said the ferocious animal appeared to be a person in a costume.
Detectives then discovered two additional insurance claims filed against two Mercedes vehicles. Detectives said all three insurance claims were filed with different companies and had the same date and location of loss.
They decided to call in the experts – just to be sure.
Detectives reviewed three videos with the help of biologists from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, who agreed it was clearly a human in a bear costume.
The suspects are accused of defrauding an insurance company of approximately $142,000.
On Wednesday, detectives executed a search and arrest warrant and found the costume and fingernails. Glendale Police and California Highway Patrol assisted in the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office.
