4 L.A. area residents accused of using bear suit to damage cars, defraud insurance companies, officials say [Video]

Four people were arrested Wednesday in connection with insurance fraud when they claimed a bear damaged their car, but it was really a person in a bear costume, the California Department of Insurance said.

Ruben Tamrazian, 26, of Glendale; Ararat Chirkinian, 39, of Glendale; Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, of Glendale; and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village, were charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy, the department said.

The suspects filed a claim with their insurance company, saying a bear got into their car, a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost, at Lake Arrowhead on Jan. 28, 2024, and damaged the inside with scratches. The insurance department said the suspects provided a video to the company, which showed the “bear” in the car.

An investigation into the claim took a closer look at the video and found the “bear” was actually a person in a bear costume, the insurance department said. Investigators then took the …