FRESNO— On December 1, 2020, Carmen Arreguin, 62, was arraigned on multiple felony counts of insurance fraud, arson and reporting a false crime after allegedly committing vehicular arson and reporting her car stolen to receive an undeserved insurance payout.

On November 20, 2018, Arreguin reported to the Fresno Police Department that her GMC Sierra had been stolen from in front of her Fresno home. She filed a claim with her insurance company, Coast National Insurance, for the loss. A week later, Arreguin's Sierra was located partially burned and dumped in a rural area of Fresno County.

A certified fire and explosives investigator examined the Sierra and determined there were no signs of forced entry to the car, the anti-theft system had not been disabled, and the vehicle was intentionally set on fire using an accelerant. An investigation by California Department of Insurance detectives uncovered additional evidence that placed Arreguin near the burn site the evening the vehicle was set on fire.

Arreguin was arraigned in Fresno County Superior Court. Her next court date is scheduled for January 20, 2021. The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting this case.

“With all of the investigative tools available to detectives, it is amazing that people think they will get away with insurance fraud,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “These individuals are committing crimes against all of us, as their actions push up the cost of our insurance premiums.”