Black bear roams around Montrose neighborhood

GLENDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- A 400-pound meatball-loving black bear caused a commotion on Tuesday morning, roaming around a neighborhood in Montrose near Briggs and Mayfield avenues.

Authorities first responded to a report of a bear sighting around 3 a.m. in the La Crescenta area. Residents stayed inside, as the large animal lumbered through yards and climbed over fences, even breaking one at one point.

"There's a flood-control channel close by that he probably came down and found his way to this area of the community. They have their ways of getting around," said Sgt. Mark Slater of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Sheriff's deputies, police and the Department of Fish and Game spent hours trying to corral the 3-year-old male bear, but he proved to be sneaky, slipping between parked cars and squeezing between homes.

Some residents watched nervously from afar, while others got too close at times.

"I came down the stairs, and the bear was right here," said resident Vaz Tervardanyan. "He saw me, probably like 10 feet away or even less, and the bear starts coming up the stairs. I turned back and run for my life."

Authorities believe this bear is the same black bear that broke into a Glendale garage in March, prying open a refrigerator to chow down on frozen meatballs and tuna. Many people in the area said they have seen him around in the past several months, and he even has his own Twitter page under the name Glen Bearian.

Fish and Game Lt. Martin Wall says bears from the Angeles National Forest don't hibernate in the winter because it's not high enough or cold enough. They eat less during the winter, so they're hungry by April.

The bear was finally sedated after three tranquilizers, and then it took several deputies to move the bear and load him into a truck. The bear has since been returned to the forest.

Officials say the black bear was not hurt when he was tranquilized. He simply just laid down and went to sleep.

See photos of the black bear roaming around a Montrose neighborhood.

Get more Los Angeles News »

animal news, los angeles news

• Comment Now
• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•