Teddy Bear Wrapped in 'Human Skin' Discovered: What We Know
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Law enforcement is investigating a teddy bear found outside a California gas station encased in what looks like human skin.
The item, described by witnesses as grotesque and alarming, was found at a bus stop near the entrance of the ARCO/AMPM station on Bear Valley Road in Victorville, and reported to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department (SBCSD). SBCSD Public Information Officer Mara Rodriguez told the press: "A coroner investigator has taken possession of the object, and the investigation is continuing."
South Carolina-based artist Robert Kelly—who goes by the name DarkSeedCreations and sells toys wrapped in a skin-like exterior on Etsy—has claimed responsibility for the bear saying: "Yes I made the bear in the news video."
He added that he was not involved in leaving the bear at the bus stop.
SBCSD and DarkSeedCreations have been contacted via email for comment.
Police tape in Washington DC, on Monday July 7, 2025. This police tape was not at the scene of the teddy bear prank.
Police tape in Washington DC, on Monday July 7, 2025. This police tape was not at the scene of the teddy bear prank.
Aaron Schwartz/Sipa via AP Images
The Context
The bear is being investigated by a coroner, but the artist has said his bears are made from latex that looks like human skin.
It is unclear at the time of publication if this investigation is ongoing, or if there will be a separate investigation into the person who left the bear at the bus stop.
What To Know
The bear was discovered on July 13 and then reported to police, who cordoned off the area where it was found.
DarkSeedCreations wrote on Facebook to say he had sold a bear to someone in the Victorville area last week, but "did not have any knowledge of the buyers['] intentions."
His Facebook page shows a number of disturbing creations, ranging from fake skulls to large creatures covered in what appears to be fake human skin. These works also appear on his Etsy site.
Comments under his posts about the prank include "The break you are waiting for" and "At least you're gonna get more business from the article lol."
What People Are Saying
DarkSeedCreations on Facebook: "Yes I made the bear in the news video. Yes that's my etsy shop screenshotted on [the] news articles. Yes I did ship that bear to an etsy customer in Victorville CA last week. Yes you can still order one too. No I did not have any knowledge of the buyers intentions nor was I involved in a prank on the other side of the nation from me."
What Happens Next
It is unclear at this time whether the investigation into the teddy bear is ongoing. More than 20 people have this type of teddy bear from DarkSeedCreation's Etsy site in their Etsy baskets.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
11 minutes ago
- Newsweek
ICE Arrests Cuban Man Convicted of Hijacking Plane in 2003
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A man who hijacked a Cubana Airlines plane is among those recently taken into custody by federal immigration agents, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Adermis Wilson-Gonzalez, a 56-year-old Cuban national, hijacked a Cubana Airlines Antonov 24 aircraft carrying passengers from Cuba to Key West, Florida in 2003. He was convicted in the United States that year for the crime and spent nearly two decades in jail before being released in 2021. Why It Matters The arrest comes as President Donald Trump directs immigration authorities to arrests migrants without legal status as he looks to fulfill his promise of mass deportations. The White House has said anyone living in the country unlawfully is a "criminal." What To Know In the spring of 2003, Wilson-Gonzalez, armed with a grenade, attempted to direct the pilot to fly the plane from Cuba's Isle of Youth to Miami. Due to insufficient fuel to cross the Florida Straits, the pilot made an emergency landing at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana. After a 14-hour negotiation, Wilson-Gonzalez was detained and 22 passengers were permitted to disembark. The aircraft resumed its flight to Key West, Florida, with 25 passengers and six crew members aboard, accompanied by U.S. fighter jets. No one was injured in the incident. File photo shows ICE agent conducting enforcement operations. Inset shows Adermis Wilson-Gonzalez, a 56-year-old Cuban national, who hijacked a Cubana Airlines Antonov 24 aircraft carrying passengers from Cuba to Key West, Florida in 2003. He... File photo shows ICE agent conducting enforcement operations. Inset shows Adermis Wilson-Gonzalez, a 56-year-old Cuban national, who hijacked a Cubana Airlines Antonov 24 aircraft carrying passengers from Cuba to Key West, Florida in 2003. He was convicted in the United States in 2003 for the crime and spent nearly two days in jail before being released in 2021. More ICE/AP Wilson-Gonzalez was one of 1,361 individuals arrested in the Houston area last month who had entered the United States illegally and are either facing criminal charges or have prior criminal convictions, ICE said. Among those arrested were 32 individuals convicted of child sex offenses, nine convicted of homicide-related crimes, and 16 identified as members of transnational gangs or drug cartels, according to ICE. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Houston field office also apprehended Arnulfo Olivares Cervantes, a 47-year-old Mexican national and former member of the Mexicles gang who was arrested on June 13. According to ICE, Olivares Cervantes has entered the United States illegally six times and has multiple convictions, including two for trafficking cocaine, as well as convictions for attempted murder, evading arrest, illegal entry, and drug possession. Luis Pablo Vasquez-Estolano, 29, a Mexican national who has been deported six times, was arrested on June 10. Vasquez-Estolano has previous convictions for homicide, aggravated robbery, burglary of a vehicle, and drug possession, ICE said. Jose Meza, a 40-year-old Mexican national, was arrested on June 24. ICE reported that Meza has illegally entered the U.S. four times and has been convicted of sexual assault of a minor and theft. Javier Escobar Gonzalez, 51, also from Mexico, was arrested on June 23. According to ICE, Escobar Gonzalez has been convicted of sexual indecency with a minor, criminal trespass with a deadly weapon, driving while intoxicated, and unauthorized use of a firearm. Police surround the hijacked AN-24 Cuban Airlines aircraft as it is refuelled Tuesday, April 1, 2003 at the Jose Marti Airport in Havana, Cuba. (AP Photo/Jose Goitia) Police surround the hijacked AN-24 Cuban Airlines aircraft as it is refuelled Tuesday, April 1, 2003 at the Jose Marti Airport in Havana, Cuba. (AP Photo/Jose Goitia) AP Photo/Jose Goitia What People Are Saying ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston acting Field Office Director Gabriel Martinez said in a statement: "Despite attempts by some to undermine our mission by spreading false and malicious rumors, the brave men and women of ICE continue to work tirelessly around the clock targeting dangerous criminal aliens to restore integrity to our nation's immigration system and bolster public safety in our communities." "The number of dangerous criminal aliens that they removed from local communities across Southeast Texas last month is just another example of their selfless and unyielding efforts to return our local communities to places where we can all raise our families without having to worry about child predators, gang members, or other violent criminal aliens preying on our loved ones." Adermis Wilson-Gonzalez, speaking after he completed his prison sentence for the hijacking, according to the Havana Times: "I have nothing to reproach the US government for, because I don't think their punishment was unjust. I committed a crime, they found me guilty of breaking the laws, and I served my time right up to the last day, with respect for this country. For the first time since I was born, I'm a free person, because in Cuba I was never free."
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump Ally Reacts to Ghislaine Maxwell Testifying About Epstein
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Roger Stone, a longtime political ally of President Donald Trump, has welcomed reports that Ghislaine Maxwell might be willing to testify to Congress about her ties to Jeffrey Epstein. In a post on X, Stone said Epstein's former associate "has nothing on Trump," pushing back on speculation that Maxwell's testimony could implicate the president. Epstein, a wealthy financier, died by suicide in jail in August 2019, weeks after his arrest on sex trafficking charges. His case has assumed renewed significance after the Trump administration ordered a review of the case and said it would publish names and evidence about associates of Epstein. However, a recent memo by the Department of Justice and the FBI stated there is no "client list," and there will be no more charges. This has triggered a backlash among those who want transparency about Epstein. According to an anonymous source speaking to the Daily Mail, Maxwell, who was convicted in 2022 over her links to Epstein's illicit activities and is serving a 20-year prison sentence, has expressed a willingness to testify before Congress about her experiences. Former Trump adviser Roger Stone gives an interview outside the Fiserv Forum during the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 17, 2024. Former Trump adviser Roger Stone gives an interview outside the Fiserv Forum during the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 17, 2024. Nick Oxford/AFP via Getty Images More to follow
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
List of Trump Allies Who Called for Release of Epstein Files
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump and several of his close allies, including many who are working in his administration, vowed that the so-called Epstein client list would be released by Trump. However, Trump has now said on Truth Social "Let's not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about," and the Department of Justice (DOJ) led by Attorney General Pam Bondi released a memo saying there is "no credible Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals." The so-called Epstein client list is what some believe is a hidden list of people who were involved in Epstein's alleged sex trafficking operation, which he was awaiting trial over when he died by suicide in New York's Metropolitan Correctional Center in 2019. Epstein conspiracy theorists also doubt that he took his own life, which the FBI under Trump has said is the case. Jeffrey Epstein, left, and Donald Trump, right, pose together at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, in 1997. Jeffrey Epstein, left, and Donald Trump, right, pose together at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, in 1997. Davidoff Studios/Getty images Why It Matters The president and DOJ's shift regarding Epstein has led to pushback and anger from MAGA voters and from one member of the Trump administration. What To Know Dan Bongino Bongino, now the deputy director of the FBI, said on his podcast in May 2023: "That Jeffrey Epstein story is a big deal. Please do not let that story go. Keep your eye on it." Although Bongino backed up FBI Director Kash Patel's assertions earlier in 2025 that Epstein took his own life, Bongino is reported to be angry at Bondi and the DOJ for failing to produce the alleged client list, and did not report to work on Friday, per NPR reporting. Kash Patel FBI Director Patel has pushed several times for Epstein's alleged client list. In 2023, prior to being appointed to his current position, he told social media personality Benny Johnson that he could obtain Epstein's list with a subpoena to Congress. During his Senate confirmation hearing he told Senator Marsha Blackburn: "I will do everything if confirmed as FBI director to make sure the American public knows the full weight of what happened." Patel then said in his position as FBI director that after reviewing official material, he came to the conclusion that Epstein took his own life. JD Vance Vice President Vance posted on X (formerly Twitter) in 2021: "Remember when we learned that our wealthiest and most powerful people were connected to a guy who ran a literal child sex trafficking ring? And then that guy died mysteriously in a jail? And now we just don't talk about it." He then asserted on Theo Vonn's podcast during the 2024 election campaign: "We need to release the Epstein list." Remember when we learned that our wealthiest and most powerful people were connected to a guy who ran a literal child sex trafficking ring? And then that guy died mysteriously in a jail? And now we just don't talk about it. — JD Vance (@JDVance) September 4, 2021 He is yet to comment publicly on Trump's refusal to look further into the Epstein case, and the president's assertion on Truth Social that the Biden Administration and other Democratic politicians "created the Epstein Files." Pam Bondi Bondi played a key role in pushing Epstein file disclosure. In February 2025, she publicly announced on Fox News that the Epstein "client list" was "sitting on my desk right now to review," noting this was "a directive by President Donald Trump." However, the documents she released to influencers in February outside of the White House did not contain new information on Epstein. A memo from Bondi's DOJ, reported on by Axios, has now said that there is no client list, and Bondi is under scrutiny for her previous statements. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) On February 25, 2025, Luna publicly pressured Bondi on X, formerly Twitter, to act on the Epstein documents. She revealed that House Oversight Committee leaders had sent letters on February 11 and February 19 seeking the status of "releasing the Epstein files" (among other long-secret records) with no response from the DOJ. Luna also posted to X saying: "Reaching out on X because we can't seem to get a response from the AG... what is the status of the documents? These documents were ordered to be declassified." Luna then posted on X on July 8: "The American people deserve to know truth [re.] Epstein, regardless of who it impacts." The American people deserve to know truth ref. Epstein, regardless of who it impacts. There is plenty of evidence and info not pertaining to CSAM/victims that DOJ leadership can authorize the @FBIDirectorKash and @FBIDDBongino to release. The @FBI cannot release anything without… — Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) July 8, 2025 Other Trump allies who have called for a more thorough Epstein investigation Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Rep. Mike Lee Rep. Lauren Boebert Donald Trump Jr. Rudy Giuliani Rep. Tim Burchett Rep. Mike Collins Alina Habba Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn Laura Loomer What Happens Next The DOJ has said there is no Epstein client list, however MAGA voters have expressed anger and frustration with the administration over this conclusion. Epstein's partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, is currently in prison for 20 years over sex trafficking charges, but has appealed her case to the Supreme Court. The DOJ has until July 14 to respond to this appeal. If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to to find a helpline near you.
