A 71-year-old California woman who was mysteriously found dead in her home was mauled to death by a black bear, in the first fatal attack of its kind.
Patrice Miller was found dead last November in her home in Downieville, a small town in the Sierra Nevada, two hours northeast of the state capital, Sacramento.
Sierra County sheriff’s deputies were checking on the welfare of a resident who had not been seen for a few days when they found a broken door and bear droppings on the porch.
Officers forced entry into the home and discovered his body inside, noting that the home had been ransacked, with signs leading them to believe a bear had entered the property.
“It looked like the bear had probably been there for several days and had been feeding on the remains,” Sheriff Mike Fisher told KCRA.
Patrice Miller was found dead last November in her home in Downieville, a small town in the Sierra Nevada, two hours northeast of the state capital, Sacramento. Miller’s house is pictured.
It was initially believed that Miller died before the bear arrived and that he may have been attracted by the smell.
Meanwhile, there were many reports from concerned citizens about a bear repeatedly returning to the house.
According to Fisher, a state depredation permit was issued and a bear was trapped on the property and euthanized.
It took two days to catch the bear after the trap was set, according to reports The Mountain Messenger.
An autopsy later revealed that Miller died “due to a bear attack or a hit and bite to the neck area.”
DNA testing confirmed that the first bear euthanized was responsible for killing Miller.
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed it was the first record of a fatal black bear attack on a human in the state.
A state depredation permit was issued and a bear was trapped on the property and euthanized.
Downieville is located along Highway 49 in the Lost Sierra region of the Tahoe National Forest.
“It’s a big problem,” said department spokesman Steve Gonzalez. ‘That doesn’t happen in California. Normally a bear will stay away from you, a bear that hasn’t been normalized to human behavior.’
Investigators learned from Miller’s daughter that her mother had an ongoing problem with bears trying to get into her house and that she had physically hit one.
Then another bear became a problem in Downieville and was euthanized after trying to enter a school gym, resulting in a significant decrease in bear activity, the sheriff said.
Bears breaking into homes or trash cans in search of food have become a problem in California, from Lake Tahoe in the Sierra to the foothill suburbs of Los Angeles, where some have been known to raid refrigerators and They soak in pools and hot tubs in their backyards. .
After Miller’s body was found, a local ‘Downieville Crittercam’ captured significant evidence of bears in the surrounding area the same week.
Downieville is located in the remote high Sierra area of California.
A late-night video, titled ‘Double Trouble’, captured two bears wandering through a garden at 3am the day before Miller’s body was found on November 8.
A video from 4:30 a.m. on Nov. 11 captured another bear walking toward the garden from the river and sniffing for food.
The caption reads: “The burly bear climbs up from the river, rummages around the garden for a while and then takes a different path back to the river.” Go to sleep, beefy.
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, black bears are the only wild bears in the state.
Sierra County sheriff’s deputies warned local residents to take extra precautions.
Video from 4:30 a.m. Nov. 11 captured another bear walking toward the yard from the river and sniffing for food.
They said: ‘Fish and Wildlife officials are working with the sheriff’s office to ensure public safety and understand the bear’s behavior.
‘Residents in the vicinity of Downieville are advised to exercise caution and take necessary precautions to avoid potential encounters with all wildlife.
“It is strongly recommended to close doors and windows at ground level at night, lock vehicles, and remove all outside food sources, including trash.”
They added: ‘The Sierra County Sheriff’s Office extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Patrice Miller during this difficult time.
“The loss of a community member is always a tragedy and our thoughts are with those affected by this unfortunate event.”
