Four individuals arrested in Los Angeles for insurance fraud involving bear costume

los angeles - Four people have been detained by the police in Los Angeles for insurance fraud, after claiming over $141,000 for damages caused by a bear to three luxury cars which was later revealed to be a person in a bear costume.

Four individuals have been apprehended by the police in Los Angeles for allegedly committing insurance fraud. They were found to have filed claims totaling $141,839 for damages supposedly caused by a bear to three high-end vehicles. However, an investigation dubbed 'Operation Bear Claw' uncovered that the so-called bear was actually a person dressed in a bear costume.

The suspects are believed to have submitted multiple claims for damages to a Rolls Royce Ghost, a Mercedes G63 AMG, and a Mercedes E350. Alongside their claims, they had submitted surveillance footage showing the interiors being destroyed. In the video, a hairy figure can be seen crawling over the front seats after opening the door directly in front of the camera.

Further scrutiny of the video revealed that the bear was, in fact, a person dressed in a bear costume, stated a special insurance overseer in California, CDI. To confirm this, consultation was sought from a biologist from a wildlife agency, who also affirmed that it was clearly a human in a bear costume.

Upon searching the suspects' residences, a bear costume was discovered, as depicted in a photo released by the CDI. Additionally, two kitchen utensils resembling 'meat claws' were also present. These items are typically used for preparing dishes like pulled pork, but in this case, may have been repurposed to mimic bear claws.