Victorville, California |
Imagine walking past a bus stop and spotting a teddy bear that looks like it was stitched together from bloody human skin. No, it’s not the trailer for a new horror movie — it actually happened. And it sent an entire town into panic.
Residents of Victorville, a quiet Mojave Desert city halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, were left shocked earlier this week when a grotesque-looking teddy bear appeared on the pavement near a gas station bus stop. The bear, resembling something out of a nightmare, looked disturbingly real — as if it were crafted from human flesh.
Startled passersby — including a customer and an employee at the station — quickly called authorities. Soon, the local sheriff’s department, forensic experts, and even a deputy coroner arrived at the scene to investigate what many feared was a real-life crime scene.
The question: Was this creepy teddy bear really made of human skin?
Turns out, it wasn’t.
A Prank Too Real
Forensic analysis revealed that the bear was made of latex, not human tissue. Authorities tracked the bizarre creation to an online horror shop that sells “art dolls” — and yes, some are advertised as being “made of human skin” (thankfully, they’re not).
The prankster? A resident, Hector Corona Villanueva, admitted to placing the bear at the scene as a joke after buying it online.
Enter the Artist Behind the Nightmare
Shortly after the incident made headlines, Robert Kelly, the founder of Dark Seed Creations, came forward to claim artistic ownership. His company creates hyper-realistic horror props, including this infamous teddy bear.
“I made the order, put it in a box, sent it out, and according to tracking, it was delivered to Victorville on the 12th,” Kelly told NBC News.
Kelly revealed the bear was made using latex live-castings from real human models, which explains why it looked hauntingly lifelike.
Public Panic and Police Response
While the teddy bear turned out to be a prop, officials were not amused.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department criticised the prank, saying it diverted valuable emergency resources that could have been used for real emergencies.
“Incidents like this put the public at risk and may delay response times to legitimate calls,” said the sheriff’s office in a statement.
Art or Alarm?
What started as a prank quickly turned into a viral moment that blurred the lines between art, fear, and public safety. And while no one was hurt, the incident raised real questions: How far is too far in the name of horror, especially when it spills into public spaces?
