Sri Lanka, July 16 -- A man in California has been arrested after police say he staged a "macabre teddy bear" made to look as if it were constructed from human flesh at a petrol station.

Hector Corona Villanueva, 23, is accused of planting false evidence and causing an emergency by leaving the bizarre creation at an AMPM service station on Sunday afternoon in the city of Victorville.

The bear's discovery led to a police investigation and a coroner's examination of the item, while the petrol station was closed as a sense of unease spread in the community.

On Monday, the sheriff's office ruled the bear wasn't made of any human body parts and dubbed the toy a "prank".

Mr Villanueva was identified and arrested on Monday. It is unclear...