By DOUGLAS W. MOTLEY
Senior Writer
Four Los Angeles area men were arrested on insurance fraud charges on Wednesday, Nov. 13 after falsely claiming a bear damaged the interior of their vehicles.
Damage to the interior of a 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost, allegedly caused by a person wearing a bear costume.
According to a California Department of Insurance press release dated Nov. 14, 2024, the suspects claimed that, while parked in Lake Arrowhead on Jan. 28, 2024, a bear entered their 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost, causing damage to the vehicle’s interior.
The department’s investigation began after an insurance company suspected fraud. The suspects – identified as Ruben Tamrazian, 26, of Glendale; Ararat Chirkinian, 39; Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, of Glendale; and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village – reportedly provided video footage to their insurance company, showing the alleged bear inside the vehicle. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the bear was actually a person wearing a bear costume.
Subsequently, detectives found two additional insurance claims from the suspects with two different insurance companies with the same date of loss and at the same location, involving vehicles identified as a 2015 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350. Once again, the suspects used a bear costume to make it appear that a bear entered and damaged those vehicles.
To further ensure it was not actually a bear in the video, the Department of Insurance 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. After executing a search warrant, detectives found the bear costume in the suspects’ home.
The insurance companies were defrauded of $141,839 because of the alleged fraud committed by the suspects. Department detectives were assisted by the Glendale Police Department and the California Highway Patrol. The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting this case. All have been charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy.
To view the Department of Insurance video, visit https://bit.ly/3Z7uV2b.
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