Jhoiner Rodriguez Celis, 31, of Anaheim; Melissa Cervantes De La Torre, 30, of Upland; Nailer Mendez Diaz, 35, of Anaheim and Plata Sampayo, 28, of Upland were all charged with felony insurance fraud on Tuesday, May 26.
It all started after the Upland Police Department contacted the Inland Empire Automobile Insurance Fraud Task Force after officers suspected that multiple crashes had been staged for insurance payouts.
Investigators said the four people involved in the crash were friends.
On June 8, 2025, they allegedly staged a crash in Upland by intentionally crashing into each other.
Sampayo and Cervantes De La Torre are also accused of causing a separate crash in Montclair on April 21, 2025, in which they targeted an innocent driver who was not connected to the scheme.
Detectives reviewed bodycam video from the June 8 incident, which allegedly shows Sampayo and Cervantes De La Torre in a vehicle that struck another vehicle occupied by Rodriguez Celis and Mendez Diaz.
All four suspects reportedly sought medical attention after the crash "in an attempt to legitimize their alleged injuries and increase insurance payouts." The estimated loss from the crash was $36,000.
Search warrants were executed, and all four suspects were arrested on March 19, 2026.
Sampayo reportedly already had an outstanding warrant for robbery out of Los Angeles County. In addition to the felony insurance fraud charges, Sampayo and Cervantes De La Torre were also charged with assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the April 21 crash. All four suspects were arraigned in court on Wednesday, May 27.
Upland police warn of staged crash scams
Police are now warning the public about scammers who stage or deliberately cause traffic crashes, saying they're becoming more common.
Authorities say staged crashes are a growing problem across Southern California. The California Department of Insurance devotes significant resources to investigating collisions that are intentionally caused to support fraudulent claims.
"Staged collisions are not victimless crimes. They can leave innocent drivers physically, emotionally, and financially impacted," said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. "The work our Inland Empire Automobile Insurance Fraud Task Force is doing is essential in keeping California drivers safe. We will continue to work with our partners to protect innocent consumers from being targeted in fraud schemes."
Police cautioned that such schemes pose serious safety risks to unsuspecting drivers.
"It definitely puts people in danger; that second collision where they staged it and caused that driver to rear end them, that could cause significant injury or death, so it's extremely dangerous," Sgt. Eric DiVincenzo said.
Upland police advise drivers to remain alert, practice defensive driving and consider using dashboard cameras to help document incidents on the road.
The California Department of Insurance believes there may be additional victims connected with the group.
Anyone who believes they may have been involved in a collision with any of the defendants, or who suspects a staged collision, is urged to contact the department at 909-919-2200.