A South Carolina special effects artist believes reported human remains found at a Victorville convenience store Sunday are actually one of his creations.

Robert Kelly, the owner and artist behind DarkSeed Creations, said his phone was flooded with messages after news broke of human remains found at an ampm in the 13600 block of Bear Valley Road. Past customers told Kelly they recognized the evidence being taken from the scene as one of Kelly’s signature works, a teddy bear made from dyed and painted latex meant to look like human skin, he said.

A Dark Seed Creations teddy bear. (Photo courtesy Dark Seed Creations) 

Deputies responded around noon to the convenience store, where a caller told dispatchers they found what appeared to be human remains, said Mara Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

The coroner’s office gathered the evidence, and the investigation is ongoing, Rodriguez said.

Kelly, who has been a horror special effects artist for more than 20 years, said he fulfilled an Etsy order last week that was shipped to Victorville.

Most customers, he said, buy from his shop to decorate haunted houses and other horror attractions. Kelly said he doesn’t know why the Victorville customer purchased one of his pieces, but he suspects it could have been a prank.

“We got blindsided by it,” Kelly said. “We don’t know much.”