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4 People Arrested In California For Allegedly Staging Bear Attacks For Insurance Payouts

Author Dave & Chuck the Freak and Cort Freeman
4 People Arrested In California For Allegedly Staging Bear Attacks For Insurance Payouts (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)

4 people have been arrested in California for allegedly staging bear attacks for insurance payouts. They did not get away with it.

People will seemingly try anything these days for a payday. OnlyFans seems to work great for some and is even paying off peoples’ mortgages. Side hustles are becoming more common as a way to bring in some extra cash. Then, there are other ways to go about making a dollar. These ways are less legal than the other ones, and that includes staging bear attacks. Well, it seems like that’s what might have gone down here. Unfortunately for them, it doesn’t seem like they will be getting that payday they were hoping for.

4 People Arrested For Allegedly Staging Bear Attacks In California

The investigation was called “Operation Bear Claw” which makes a lot of sense. It sounds like 4 suspects were staging bear attacks inside of their vehicles in a San Bernardino County mountain community of Lake Arrowhead. They were hoping to secure payouts totaling more than $140,000! You can see a video report on the matter from KCAL News on YouTube below.

According to CBS News, investigators started looking into the incident after one of the insurance companies suspected fraud because multiple claims were filed for the same location on the same date (January 28th, 2024). The people making the claims even provided video footage to their insurance companies of a supposed bear damaging the interior of their vehicles. Well, it turns out that bear might not have been a bear at all but a guy inside of a bear costume!

To help verify their findings, investigators went to a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife who reviewed the 3 videos of the alleged bear attacks and also agreed that it was clearly a human in a bear suit and not a real bear causing the damage. Photos from the incident show surface-level scratch marks to the seats and door panels of the cars which included a 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost, a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG, and a 2022 Mercedes E350, per CBS News. The 4 suspects have been identified as Glendale residents Ruben Tamrazian, Ararat Chirkinian, Vahe Muradkhanyan, and Alfiya Zuckerman of Valley Village, per CBS News. All of the suspects were arrested with the assistance of Glendale police and the California Highway Patrol. All of the 4 suspects have been charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall at the meeting where they planned this thing out. Pretending to be a bear? That’s a wild idea.

Cort Freeman was born and raised in Metro Detroit. He was named Clarkston High School 2009 Class Clown 13 years after graduating. Totally normal thing to happen. That’s thanks to his time spent as an Intern at Comedy Central and Social Media Correspondent for The Colbert Report. Cort has done comedy across the country, both standing up and sitting down. When he’s not trying to make you laugh on-air and online, he’s probably at home enjoying his favorite shows like Seinfeld, South Park, and The Office. He’s also totally uncomfortable writing about himself in the third person. Cort enjoys writing about comedy, food, sports, and entertainment. So, basically anything and everything.

5 Animals In North America That Could Kill You

Oh, America the beautiful. Across our wonderful continent of North America you’ll find amazing, adorable animals. However, you’ll also find creatures that are incredibly dangerous. Here are 5 animals in North America that could kill you.

Now, just because they can kill you doesn’t mean they’re out to do it. Yet, it means they have the possibility of doing so! So, it’s best to be aware!

5 Animals In North America That Could Kill You

Well, some of these animals you’re probably already well aware could kill you. However, some of these animals you might not know can kill you. Or, maybe you don’t know they’re actually around! Hey, like NBC used to say, “The More You Know.”

Naturally, there are many more than 5 animals in North America capable of killing you. There are countless. Some may be big powerful animals. Others may be poisonous. It’s important to know what’s out there. These animals could be lurking in your basement. They could be outside your home. Or, they could be all the way across the country from you and pose absolutely no risk of danger or harm.

Of course, when you only select five animals to talk about, you’re leaving a lot on the cutting room floor. So, you won’t hear about any sharks on the list. We know they can kill you. Additionally, jaguars, mountain lions, and American Bison didn’t make the list. That’s right. Bison can kill you, and they have! Not only are Bison huge animals, but they also have horns! Several ways they can take you out. It’s not just limited to a stampede.

Furthermore, I’m counting an “animal” as anything in the Animal Kingdom. They may be reptiles, amphibians, insects, and more. I’m counting them all as animals. I don’t want to hear that “technically, arachnids aren’t animals” or anything. Let’s just relax and have fun.

These 5 Animals Found In America Could Kill You

  • Grizzly Bears

    Grizzly Bears are incredibly dangerous! They’re also massive. They have sharp claws. Additionally, they have very sharp teeth and brute strength. There is no shortage in the ways a Grizzly could kill you. They’re very popular up in Alaska and Western Canada.

  • Alligators

    Alligators are dangerous animals. They’re ancient, smart, and deadly. According to USA Today, alligators have been responsible for 33 human deaths in the last 50 years. Not a great way to go. They’re quicker than you’d think. Then, sneaky, too! Uh oh.

  • Arizona Bark Scorpions

    These small light brown scorpions are deadly! They have venom that is painful and potentially deadly. You don’t want to be stung by one of these. Note that they are nocturnal and are common in southern California, southern Arizona, southern Nevada, and parts of Utah and New Mexico. Black lights can help you spot them at night.

  • Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

    This species of rattlesnake is endemic to the Southeastern United States. Of course, there are other common rattlesnakes found across the country that are also deadly. They like to live in upland dry pine forests, flatwoods, sandhills, and coastal maritime hammocks. Also, they are excellent swimmers! So, don’t try to get away by swimming. They’ll catch you! It’s said to be the most dangerous venomous snake in all of North America.

  • Brown Recluse Spider

    The Brown Recluse Spider has necrotic venom. Their bites will often require medical attention. It is one of three spiders in North America with dangerous venom along with the Black Widow and Chilean Recluse. They’re mostly found in the Central United States. They are very dangerous and harmful to the older community and younger individuals. They’re typically between 6 and 20 millimeters.

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