'Human Skin Teddy Bear' Prank No Picnic: Police

VICTORVILLE, CA — Two days after a macabre discovery outside a Victorville ARCO, the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department arrested the man they suspect is responsible for placing the realistic-looking "Human Skin Teddy Bear" for others to find.

Hector Corona Villanueva, 23 of Victorville, was arrested in connection with what has been discussed as a prank, according to video surveillance footage from the scene, the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department told Patch.

He was booked for causing the emergency report and wrongfully planting evidence to falsely present it as real.

The diabolical little teddy bear, which horrified all who viewed it, according to the viral social media posts. The creation, made by South Carolina horror artist Robert Kelly, was recently sent to Victorville. Beyond that, he was unaware that it was being used as a prank. The bear retails in his Etsy shop for $165 and has recently sold out.

"I cannot confirm if he was the man who received the bear by mail," San Bernardino Sheriff's Department information officer Mara Rodriguez said.

No bear doll looks alike, he told Patch. Each is unique and hand-sewn. They are made of latex, and are named the "human skin teddy bear," according ot the listing. Fans of Dark Seed Creations have contemplated the free advertising the horror artist is receiving.

"When you have the coroner called on your horror art, you know you do good work!" one commenter said on Facebook.

It was not yet clear as of Tuesday morning if Villanueva was the one who purchased the bear from the Dark Seed Creations Etsy store.

"Incidents such as this take up valuable emergency resources and put the public at risk, possibly delaying response time to legitimate calls for service. We want to thank those who reported information that was helpful during the investigation of this case," a spokesperson for the department said.

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