No predator – police reveal bear costume cheater

In the US state of California, four men were arrested on suspicion of insurance fraud. They allegedly vandalized their own luxury cars to get compensation. According to them, the perpetrator was a bear – but video footage raised doubts.

The owners said a bear got into the vehicle while it was parked in Lake Arrowhead, a mountain town near Los Angeles. They provided photos and surveillance video that allegedly showed the animal in the car.

However, employees of the insurance company that was supposed to cover the damage found the records to be suspicious. The insurance company then called in investigators and a biologist who was called in confirmed the suspicion that it was a man in the suit.

Police found two other similar cases with other insurance companies reporting bear damage in the same location. These cases also involved a person in a bear suit. The men are said to have fake scratch marks by using a kitchen tool to cut meat.

When police searched the suspects’ homes, the investigative team found the bear suit, and the men, ages 26 to 39, were later charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy.