4 arrested in California for allegedly staging bear attacks to receive insurance payouts
A group of Los Angeles County residents have been arrested for allegedly using costumes to stage bear attacks to get compensation from auto insurance companies, investigators said.
The investigation, dubbed “Operation Bear Claw,” found that three of four people in Lake Arrowhead, a mountain community in San Bernardino County, filed similar policies after an alleged bear damaged the interior of their car. Claim. California Department of Insurance.
California Department of Insurance
Investigators began looking into the incident after one of the insurance companies suspected fraud and revealed multiple claims were filed on January 28, 2024, for the same location. The claimants allegedly provided the insurance company with video footage of an alleged bear damaging the interior of their vehicle.
The videos, which all take place in the same spot outside a home in the area, are intended to show the bear getting into a car and crawling around. But “upon further review of the video, the investigation determined that the bear was actually a person wearing a bear costume,” according to a CDI release.
To make sure their beliefs were not unfounded, investigators sought help from a biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, who reviewed all three videos of the false attack and concluded that “it was clearly a man in a bear suit.” “Human”.
California Department of Insurance
Photos provided by insurance investigators showed superficial scratches on the car seats and door panels.
Investigators said the claims, involving the 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost, 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and 2022 Mercedes E350, resulted in insurance companies being defrauded of up to $141,839.
The four suspects are Glendale residents Ruben Tamrazian (26), Ararat Chirkinian (39), Wa Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, and Valley Village woman Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, were both arrested with help from Glendale police and the California Highway Patrol. catch.
Each is charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy.
