One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
4 LA-area humans allegedly used giant furry bear costume to claim damage of Rolls-Royce, other luxury cars
Authorities released this photo of a bear costume recovered during Operation Bear Claw.
(
Courtesy California Dept. of Insurance
)
Four people from Glendale and Valley Village have been arrested for allegedly wearing a fake bear costume — to commit insurance fraud.
The suspects are accused of claiming a bear damaged their vehicles in Lake Arrowhead, sending video footage to their insurance companies when it was really someone wearing an elaborate furry brown suit.
As part of “Operation Bear Claw,” all four have been charged with conspiracy and insurance fraud, the California Department of Insurance announced Wednesday.
“The Department’s investigation began after an insurance company suspected fraud,” the department said in a statement. “Upon further scrutiny of the video, the investigation determined the bear was actually a person in a bear costume.”
-
The ruling comes as scrutiny over the conditions inside immigrant detention centers in the Trump administration continues to mount. -
Federal prosecutors allege Michael Angel Alvarez was an 18th Street gang leader at the same time he worked for a local nonprofit under a contract with the city of L.A. -
The DA's office said it could take months or more to determine next steps
What we know about ‘Operation Bear Claw’
The four people, three from Glendale and another from Valley Village, allegedly claimed a bear had broken into their 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost in January, damaging the inside of the car.
Sponsored message
The footage they shared with their insurance company shows a parked Rolls-Royce and what appears to be a bear rummaging around inside.
Watch the surveillance video
Officials began investigating and found additional insurance claims for a pair of Mercedes.
Again, the department said the suspects used a bear costume to make it look like the animal broke in and was responsible for the damage, sharing the video with two more insurance companies to substantiate their claims.
“To further ensure it was not actually a bear in the video, the Department had a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife review the three alleged bear videos and they also opined it was clearly a human in a bear suit,” officials said in a statement.
Authorities released this image of Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village being arrested in connection with Operation Bear Claw.
(
Courtesy California Dept. of Insurance
)
Authorities released this image of Ararat Chirkinian, 39, of Glendale being arrested in connection with Operation Bear Claw.
(
Courtesy California Dept. of Insurance
)
Sponsored message
The bear costume was allegedly found in their home when officials carried out a search warrant.
The insurance companies were defrauded of nearly $150,000, officials said.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
