Viral video of a supposed bear attack on a Rolls Royce in January was actually a case of insurance fraud involving a “person in a bear costume,” according to California cops.
Bear attack on luxury vehicle alerts suspicion
Home surveillance, captured outside a residence in Lake Arrowhead, California, initially appeared to show a bear trashing the luxury vehicle.
In the video, a “bear” climbed into a Rolls Royce, where the alleged animal scratched up and dented the interior of the car.
However, detectives from the California Department of Insurance (CDI) were skeptical about what they saw and opened an investigation into the claim.
They eventually determined that the video did not quite add up, concluding that it wasn’t the handiwork of a real bear.
When examining the footage of the incident, detectives found that the movements of the “bear” were inconsistent with those of an actual animal.
Police turn to scientist for help
They enlisted the help of a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife who determined the perpetrator was “a human in a bear suit.”
From there, the CDI uncovered two additional “bear attacks” staged on different luxury vehicles in the same area.
The owners of a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350 had submitted virtually the same complaints to other insurance companies, each accompanied by similar footage of the “bear.”
Investigators launched “Operation Bear Claw,” and identified suspects Ruben Tamrazian, 26, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, as those behind the false claims.
In collaboration with the Glendale Police Department and the California Highway Patrol, the CDI executed a search warrant at the suspects’ home.
Officers discovered a full bear suit at the property, including sharp metal “claws” allegedly used to create the scratch marks found on car seats.
The four suspects were apprehended on charges of insurance fraud and conspiracy to defraud insurers for nearly $142,000.
Suspect in fake bear attack used to cover murder caught
In another case that involved a bear being framed for a crime, a fugitive who allegedly committed murder and tried to make it look like a bear attack was finally caught after being on the run from authorities.
Columbia police took Nicholas Wayne Hamlett into custody on Sunday night after a hospital employee recognized him and informed authorities.
Officers apprehended Hamlett, and a fingerprint scan confirmed his identity. He is now in the custody of U.S. Marshals, awaiting extradition to Tennessee.
Hamlett faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of Steven Douglas Lloyd, 34. Investigators revealed that Hamlett befriended Lloyd with the intention of killing him to assume his identity.
Detectives allege Hamlett lured Lloyd into the woods and devised a plan to cover up the murder.
On October 18, just before noon, Monroe County’s received a call from a “distressed hiker” who identified himself as Brandon Andrade.
“He advised the dispatcher that he had fallen off a cliff while running from a bear,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote. “The distressed caller claimed that he was injured and partially in the water.”
Upon arriving at the scene, police discovered a bloodied body at the base of a cliff, accompanied by Andrade’s identification.
Investigators later discovered Andrade’s ID had been stolen and was frequently used by Hamlett, who was on the run as of Sunday night, per the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
The use of Andrade’s identity is believed to have been a tactic by Hamlett to evade going back to prison, where he is wanted in Alabama for violating parole.
