7 mannequins with deputies' names found hanging from trees in Crestline

CRESTLINE, Calif. (KABC) -- Two people have been arrested after seven mannequins were found around Crestline, each with a bullseye and the names of sheriff's deputies.

Capt. Donald Mahoney of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department says when they found the first mannequin, it was funny.

"We thought it was strange, and maybe even had a couple laughs about it at first, thinking wow someone has gotten our attention," said Mahoney.

But then when they found six more mannequins, they took the situation more seriously.

Mahoney says 36-year-old Sarah Stewart came up with the idea, and 47-year-old Erin Elder helped her place the mannequins around town.

"They're actually attached to a white supremacist group, and so with that, we believe they had done this as an intimidation factor," Mahoney said.

Mahoney says there's no evidence the suspects planned to attack the deputies named on the mannequins. They were arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats against an officer.

Authorities believe there might be others involved in the scheme. On Wednesday, they conducted a follow-up investigation, checking nearly 50 different people who had ties to the suspects.

No one was arrested for taking part in placing the mannequins, but 27 people were arrested on a variety of other charges.