Gas Station Panics After ‘Human Flesh’ Teddy Bear Found

A gas station went into full panic mode after someone walked up and saw what looked like a teddy bear, made out of human skin.

It was just sitting there, propped up in front of an AMPM in Victorville, California. The teddy bear looked like it had been placed there on purpose, and that's probably because it had. Police were quickly called, and a coroner even showed up.

At first glance, it looked disturbingly real. The stitching, the coloring, and the warped skin-like texture transformed this seemingly innocent teddy bear into something that would be part of a horror movie. For a while, even authorities weren’t sure what they were dealing with.

Eventually, they figured it out: it wasn’t a body part, it was a horror prop. A teddy bear crafted from latex by a South Carolina artist who sells this kind of thing online. Apparently, it had been shipped to a buyer in Victorville just days before.

Who would buy this, and why?

23-year-old Hector Corona Villanueva bought this bear and was arrested for staging the entire thing.

Authorities say he left the bear on purpose, hoping someone would find it and freak out, which they did. He’s facing charges for falsely reporting an emergency and planting evidence, both criminal charges in California.

The artist who made the bear says he never expected it to be used that way, but admits he’s not mad about the attention.

This isn’t the first time a fake body has caused a real scene.

Texas has seen it too. A Halloween display in the Dallas area led to weeks of 911 calls. Last year, a tow yard employee in Vidor thought he found a woman’s body in a car trunk, but it turned out to be an adult mannequin.