LOS ANGELES (AP) – Bears are breaking into cars in California. However, the bear was caught on camera getting into a luxury car, alerting the insurance company that something was wrong.
In an operation dubbed “Operation Bear Claw,” the California Department of Insurance accused four Los Angeles residents of defrauding three insurance companies of about $142,000 by claiming a bear had damaged their cars. It was announced that he had been arrested on Wednesday.
The organization is accused of providing insurance companies with footage of a bear moving inside a Rolls-Royce and two Mercedes vehicles in the San Bernardino Mountains in January as part of a claim for damages, the department said. Photos provided by the insurance department showed what appeared to be scratches on the seats and doors.
After viewing the video of the Rolls-Royce, the company suspected that there was not a bear in the car, but rather someone in a bear costume.
Detectives discovered two additional claims from two different insurance companies for four people on the same date of loss and at the same location. A similar video was provided of a “bear” inside a Mercedes car.
It is unclear at this time whether the four people arrested have lawyers.
The health department said it had biologists from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife examine three videos and concluded it was “clearly a human in a bear costume.”
After executing a search warrant, detectives found a bear costume at the suspect’s home, the department said.
bear breaking into house Trash cans are a problem in California for food. lake tahoe From the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the foothills of the Los Angeles suburbs, some have been known to raid refrigerators and bathe in backyards. pool and hot tub.
