Bakersfield couple charged with insurance fraud and arson following joint investigation
News: 2022 Press Release
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Eduardo Suarez, 38, was arraigned today on two felony counts of insurance fraud and arson after he was arrested last month at his worksite on an outstanding warrant. Suarez allegedly conspired with his then girlfriend, Nicole Hamen, 37, to stage a vehicle theft and arson in order to obtain an insurance payout they were not entitled to receive. Attempts were made to locate and arrest Hamen on an outstanding warrant alleging similar charges, but she eluded authorities and remains at large.
A joint investigation by the California Department of Insurance, Bakersfield Fire Department Arson Division, and the Bakersfield Police Department, began in May 2021 when the Bakersfield Fire Department responded to a report of a vehicle fire. An arson investigation revealed the burned vehicle, a 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander, belonged to Hamen. When the Bakersfield Police Department contacted Hamen at her residence, she claimed her vehicle had been stolen.
Hamen subsequently filed an insurance claim and told her insurance company she did not know who stole the vehicle, did not loan the vehicle to anyone, and claimed her vehicle was in good running condition prior to the alleged theft.
The investigation uncovered videos of Hamen and Suarez removing tires, rims and miscellaneous property from the vehicle, before Suarez towed it away from Hamen’s home to the eventual burn site approximately one mile away. The vehicle was dumped and gasoline was used to set the vehicle ablaze.
Authorities continue to search for Nicole Hamen. Anyone with information on Hamen’s whereabouts are urged to contact the Department at (559) 440-5900. The Kern County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting this case.
# # #
Led by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, the California Department of Insurance is the consumer protection agency for the nation's largest insurance marketplace and safeguards all of the state’s consumers by fairly regulating the insurance industry. Under the Commissioner’s direction, the Department uses its authority to protect Californians from insurance rates that are excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory, oversee insurer solvency to pay claims, set standards for agents and broker licensing, perform market conduct reviews of insurance companies, resolve consumer complaints, and investigate and prosecute insurance fraud. Consumers are urged to call 1-800-927-4357 with any questions or contact us at www.insurance.ca.gov via webform or online chat. Non-media inquiries should be directed to the Consumer Hotline at 800-927-4357. Teletypewriter (TTY), please dial 800-482-4833.
