Authorities recently arrested a San Jose, Calif. father and his son for allegedly committing felony insurance fraud and perjury in connection with an auto insurance claim. Efrin Mario Garcia, 44, and Mario Franklin Garcia, 21, surrendered at the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office in San Jose.

Mario Franklin Garcia had reported his 2003 Ford Mustang Cobra stolen on July 11, 2009 at approximately 1:20 a.m. Mario told the Milpitas Police Department that he and his girlfriend had watched a movie at the mall and could not locate his ride when the show was over and figured that it had been lifted from the parking lot. That same morning at 8:00 a.m., the California Highway Patrol spotted the vehicle in question. There was extensive damage to the recovered Mustang, which had apparently crashed into a concrete barrier.

As a result of the supposed theft and subsequent crash of his vehicle, Mario Franklin Garcia, with assistance from his father Efrin Mario Garcia, filed an automobile insurance claim. Garcia's vehicle was valued at approximately $16,000 at the time the claim was filed.

On July 17, 2009, the Urban Organized Auto Fraud Task Force began investigating the claim for possible insurance fraud. The investigation revealed that on the night of July 10, Mario Franklin Garcia was driving his Mustang when he allegedly crashed into the barrier. Mario Franklin Garcia then contacted his father who responded to the crash scene, picked up his son and drove him to the mall to report the car stolen and then file a fraudulent automobile insurance claim.

In addition to the other charges, Mario Franklin Garcia faces one misdemeanor count of hit and run. The court set bail at $15,000 for each.

"Committing felony insurance fraud is the worst way to try to avoid trouble," said California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. "Lying to police and to your insurance company is a crime and will only compound your problems."

Source: California Department of Insurance

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