Montrose freeway-crossing bear tranquilized

The bear that wandered over the 210 Freeway and into Montrose early Sunday morning has been tranquilized and is being taken back into the Angeles National Forest.

The bear was sedated around 10:30 a.m. after it had been seen in the area of Florencita Lane and Montrose Drive. It had already been loaded into the back of a truck by 11 a.m. Officials were unsure if it was male or female. It did not harm any humans or damage any property.

The animal was first sighted around 7:30 a.m., according to officials with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The bear climbed onto the freeway at about 8:30 a.m., prompting the California Highway Patrol to temporarily close the highway. The bear later entered a residential area and drank from a sprinkler, according to CHP logs.

“He’s just been wandering around for a while,” said Lt. Angela Shepherd.

At least one helicopter, several sheriff’s deputies and a canine unity as well as wardens from the California Department of Fish and Game had been deployed.

Bears are a common sight in the area, which is close to the Angeles National Forest. A 400-pound bear nicknamed Glen Bearian that made a habit of dumpster diving in trash cans in the Glendale area was captured last month.

Resident Carla Reiber came face to face with the Montrose bear as she was reading the newspaper on her front porch Sunday morning.

“When the helicopters started flying overhead, we were joking, was it an accident or a bear? About a half hour later, there he was,” Reiber said.

-- Frank Shyong, Los Angeles Times