Earlier this month, four California residents were arrested for an alleged insurance fraud scheme that included rolling around in a Rolls Royce while wearing a bear suit.
Even in a grainy video shared by authorities, it seems pretty clear that the “bear” is a person. The California Department of Insurance also released a photo of the costume itself.
Sam Benson Smith, digital managing editor at Audacy’s KNX Newsradio in Los Angeles, brought this case to us at “Something Offbeat” and joined the show to discuss it.
“There is so much other documentation of what a bear’s claws look like and what its clawing pattern looks [like],” he said, adding: “I’ve worn belts that have done more damage to backseats of cars.”
Each week, “Something Offbeat” takes a deeper look at an unusual headline. If you have suggestions for stories the podcast should cover, send them to us at somethingoffbeat@audacy.com.