Burglar Turns Out To Be A Bear

When Chelsea Mapanda returned to her home in California early Wednesday morning and found the side door was open, she thought there was a burglar in her house. But after peering through a side window, she realized the situation was actually worse than she originally thought.

Mapanda saw that her refrigerator was open and food was scattered around her kitchen, she says. “I automatically knew that a bear was in my house,” the Sierra Madre resident says. “We had been alerted that a bear was around the perimeter of our home and a couple of our neighbors’ yards, too.” After she called police, officers went into her home to investigate – and quickly retreated when they heard the bear growl, a spokesman says.

Officials with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife arrived and began an hours-long search of the home – but didn’t find the bear, says spokeswoman Mackenzie Rich. Investigators believe the crafty bear slipped out the back door after scaring off the police officers, Rich adds.