An elderly woman mauled to death in her home by a black bear is the first known deadly bear attack in California's history, authorities said.
Patrice Miller, 71, died as a result of the fatal assault after the bear broke into her Downieville, California, home – about 100 miles outside of Sacramento, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife determined, following a months-long investigation, KCRA-TV reported.
In November 2023, deputies responded to Miller's residence after a family member requested a welfare check.
"Upon showing up, [they] immediately saw evidence of bear intrusion into the house," Sierra County Sheriff Mike Fisher said, according to the outlet. "The door was broken. There was bear scat on the porch."
They found a gruesome scene when they went into the house.
At first, authorities believed Patrice died from natural causes before she was mauled. But the investigation proved otherwise.
"Patrice had passed away due to a bear mauling or a swipe in a bite to the neck area," Fisher said, noting the victim's house had several "bear attractants," including garbage and cat food on the porch. "It appeared that the bear had probably been there several days and had been feeding on the remains."
The victim's daughter told investigators that "bears were constantly trying to get in through broken windows, and that her mother had physically hit one to keep it from entering her residence. A bear her mother named 'big bastard' was a frequent visitor to the residence," a report said, according to the station.
The bear was subsequently trapped on her property and later euthanized.
DNA analysis confirmed the euthanized bear was in fact the one that killed Patrice, and since then, Fisher said the area has seen a significant decrease in bear activity.
