No, It Wasn’t Human Skin.
How a $165 Latex Teddy Bear Brought a California Gas Station to a Stand-Still
Picture this: yellow crime-scene tape snapping in the desert wind, deputies radios crackling, and a coroner zipping a teddy bear into an evidence bag. All because someone thought the plush toy was literally wearing human skin.
Turns out, the only thing real was the panic.
The Moment Chaos Hit Victorville
Early Sunday, July 13, a 9-1-1 caller told San Bernardino County deputies there was “a stuffed animal covered in flesh” outside an AM/PM along Bear Valley Road in Victorville—about a two-hour drive from Los Angeles.
Within minutes:
- Squad cars boxed in the lot
- The area was taped off like a homicide scene
- A coroner investigator arrived, camera in hand
KTLA’s chopper even caught the toy being treated like potential evidence of a serial killer.
Verified Fact
✔ Deputies did tape off the station and summon a coroner. (People, ABC7)
The Big Reveal: Etsy, Not Ed Gein
Lab tests weren’t needed. A closer look showed the “flesh” was latex painted to resemble stitched skin—a horror-prop specialty sold on Etsy for $165.
Verified Fact
✔ The listing from DarkSeedCreations clearly states “Materials: latex.” (Etsy listing)
Meet the Man Behind the Mayhem
Robert Kelly, a soft-spoken prop maker in Summerville, South Carolina, sculpts nightmares for a living. He calls his shop Dark Seed Creations—a nod to “planting dark ideas.”
Kelly told PEOPLE he shipped one of his bears to a Victorville customer “last week.” Sunday’s phone call from deputies? His first clue the package had gone rogue.
“I woke up to 47 missed calls,” Kelly laughed. “Honestly, I’m flattered—but I hope nobody’s in trouble for what is basically art.” — Robert Kelly, to ABC7
Verified Facts
✔ Kelly is the artist and confirmed shipping to Victorville.
✔ Price: $165.
✔ Material: Latex, not leather—or worse.
What We Still Don’t Know
The sheriff’s office hasn’t identified who left the bear or why.
• Prank? Maybe someone wanted viral glory.
• Accident? The buyer could’ve dropped the box.
• Malice? Less likely, but deputies haven’t ruled it out.
Until investigators finish, motive remains a mystery. No charges filed—yet.
Anatomy of a Hoax: Why We Fell for It
- Hyper-real Detail
Kelly airbrushes layers of red, brown, and yellow, mimicking subcutaneous fat and stitched seams. - Location, Location, Location
A lonely gas station on a desert highway screams horror-movie setting. - Law-Enforcement Protocol
When “possible human remains” are reported, deputies must treat it as real. That seriousness amplified the scare.
The Wider Trend: Horror Props in Public Spaces
This isn’t the first time cosplay creations triggered a police response.
- 2022, Denver – A severed “alien arm” prop shut down I-25.
- 2024, Manchester, UK – A fake zombie head in a trash bin sparked a bomb squad call.
Each incident ignited the same debate: Where does art end and public nuisance begin?
Lessons From the Latex Bear
What’s verified:
- The bear is fake skin.
- Police did everything by the book.
- Robert Kelly never intended a city-wide freak-out.
What’s murky:
- Who left the prop outside the AM/PM.
- Whether any laws were broken (California has statutes against causing “false emergency,” but intent must be proven).
What’s next:
Deputies told reporters the bear “is in evidence storage.” Translation: taxpayers now warehouse a horror collectible until the case is closed.
Final Take
A $165 Etsy item, a dash of desert suspense, and the human instinct to fear the unknown—together they fooled a town and briefly convinced authorities Leatherface had gone West Coast.
So if you spot something grisly outside your local quick-mart, take a breath before dialing 9-1-1. It might just be latex—and an artist somewhere will be thrilled you mistook it for the real thing.