Suspects nabbed for ‘man in bear suit’ insurance scam

The four Los Angeles-area residents have been charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy after having received $141,839 (£111,619) in insurance payments.

Those arrested in what investigators dubbed “Operation Bear Claw” are: Ruben Tamrazian, 26; Ararat Chirkinian, 39; Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32; and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39.

There were three total incidents where the suspects filed insurance claims for cars-damaged-by-bear, investigators said.

The initial claim was in January, when the suspects allegedly said that a bear entered a 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost – retailing for around $100,000 – and damaged its interior.

Fuzzy night-time footage shows the bear spending about 30-45 seconds in the car, rummaging around the front and back, before falling out of the open passenger door.

Photos of the damage reveal claw marks on the leather seats and the leather lining of one of the doors.