Four people were arrested after allegedly submitting fake insurance claims claiming a bear damaged the interiors of three luxury cars.
Video footage sent to insurance companies as evidence shows the animal appearing to climb into the front seat of the Rolls Royce, then crawling backwards.
The footage drew suspicion from California Department of Insurance investigators, who after serving a search warrant found a bear costume in the suspect’s home.
“After further review of the video, the investigation determined the bear was actually a person wearing a bear costume,” the department said in a press release.
Four Los Angeles-area residents have been charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy after receiving $141,839 (£111,619) in insurance payments.
Those arrested in what investigators are calling “Operation Bear Claw” are: Ruben Tamrazian, 26; Ararat Chirkinian, 39; Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32 years old; and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39.
Investigators said there were a total of three incidents where suspects filed insurance claims for cars damaged by bears.
The initial claim was made in January, when the suspects allegedly said a bear entered a 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost – which retails for about $100,000 – and damaged its interior.
The blurry nighttime footage shows the bear spending about 30-45 seconds in the car, rummaging around the front and back, before falling out the open passenger door.
Photos of the damage show claw marks on the leather seats and the leather lining of one of the doors.
California Department of InsuranceThere were two additional insurance claims filed with two different insurance companies, each with the same date of loss, same address, and same allegation of damage.
Those incidents involved a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E35.
To confirm the footage showed a human wearing a costume and not a bear, department officials requested assistance from a California Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist, who confirmed determined that “it was clearly a person wearing a bear suit”.
The Glendale Police Department and the California Highway Patrol assisted in the investigation, the state Department of Insurance said.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the charges.
