WATCH: Hungry Bear Gets Into, Tears Up Car In Colfax
COLFAX (CBS13) — People who head up to the Sierra should never forget that it's bear country up there.
Case in point: A hungry bear attracted to something inside someone's car completely trashed the vehicle, a video from Placer County Sheriff's deputies shows.
"I came awake by missed calls and finally got a call to my wife saying 'hey we got a bear in your car,'" Dustin Clark said.
The incident happened in Colfax last Monday night, according to the sheriff's office. Deputies responded to investigate a report of suspicious circumstances but instead found a bear locked in a car.
Deputies broke out one of the car's windows to get the bear out. The bear eventually jumped out, leaving a completely torn up car behind.
"I mean, he really pillaged and destroyed the inside of this rig we've had for 12 years that my wife loved. I still love it. Still not getting rid of it. And it's just something to be aware of that this can happen anywhere," Clark said.
Clark's neighbor Dan Carlson said he's never seen anything like this happen on their wooded street of Manzanita Trail in the time he has lived there.
"I was pretty impressed about how strong these bears are. The doors were shut and the bear opened the door supposedly and the door shut behind him," Carlson said.
The Placer County Sheriff's Office and Clark told CBS13 non-lethal round were shot at the windows of the car so the bear would get out of the vehicle.
"Everyone that comes by and sees it, even after I send them pictures and videos, still doesn't do it justice," Clark said. "Two human beings with tools and a half-hour could not do the damage that a bear did in 30 minutes."
This Colfax family said they don't know what drew the bear to their family car. Now, they have to bear the thought of being without one of their vehicles.
"Pay attention. Be alert of what you're doing and, they're here," Clark said.
Watch the video of the aftermath above.