MEYERS, Calif. -- A homeowner says he shot a bear in self-defense after the animal broke into his home and attacked him. The encounter happened Thursday night in Meyers, in El Dorado County.
The local sheriff says after being shot, the bear ran back into the wilderness. Fish and Wildlife officers were notified and they found the bear the next day badly wounded and officers euthanized it.
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Locals say bear sightings are not uncommon and they blame out-of-towners for not taking the necessary precautions to bear-proof their property. "Visitors come up and they leave their trash about and the bears then go ahead feel comfortable enough to roam the streets," said Vincent Vidal. Tyler Bradford added "A lot of people who don't live here don't realize that they have to keep the trash safe, the doors locked, and not feed these guys."
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After investigating the incident, the El Dorado County Sheriff says the homeowner acted legally in the shooting of the bear.
Video shows bear walking through East Bay neighborhood