LOS ANGELES - On June 20, 2014, Investigators with the California Department of Insurance arrested Alberto Linares, 30, and Nancy Guerrero, 29, of Los Angeles on multiple counts of filing a fraudulent claim and grand theft after allegedly staging a car collision and attempting to collect a total of $4,422 in benefits from three different insurance companies.

Investigators received information from Sentry Insurance that Linares and Guerrero were suspected of conspiring to commit fraud by staging a fake collision. In July 2013, Linares and Guerrero were allegedly involved in an auto accident. Linares was determined to be at fault in the accident by running a red light in his Chevrolet van and striking Guerrero's Volkswagen Beetle.

Months later, in October 2013, Linares and Guerrero filed another claim, this time with Infinity Insurance. The collision on the Infinity claim happened at the same intersection and with the same vehicles detailed in the original Sentry claim, though Guerrero stated in this claim that she had been the one who had run the red light. Linares and Guerrero filed a third and final claim in January 2014, this time with Alliance United Insurance, with the same facts and details as the first two claims.

"This is why Californians pay such high insurance premiums," said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  "Our CSLEA members who investigate Department of Insurance cases are very thorough, despite some of the most complex of cases.  Those who commit insurance fraud should be on alert, CDI is very active in putting a stop to this illegal activity."

Following the Department of Insurance's investigation, Linares and Guerrero were taken into custody. Bail for Linares was set at $145,000 and $120,000 for Guerrero. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office will be prosecuting the case.