A teddy bear encased in lifelike skin was found outside a California gas station and is being investigated by a coroner's office.

In what police called "a very bizarre incident," officers arrested a man after what appeared to be a teddy bear wrapped in human flesh was left outside a Southern California convenience store.

A 'human skin teddy bear' found outside a convenience store in California has turned out to be horror art made from latex and is a "prank" amid a police investigation, according to reports.