[Remix above by @mr_hopkinson; view original at KTLA website. They prohibit embedding. Lame.]
So, this happened in Los Angeles this morning. KTLA choppers filmed a huge black bear on the streets of La Crescenta, and the hilarious (because he didn't die) reaction of a man who stumbled upon the scene while texting and walking.
The bear was pretty mellow, and was eventually tranquilized and removed from the area.
Authorities believe this may be the same bear that broke into a garage last month and pried open a refrigerator to snack on some frozen meatballs.
In fact, when local news reported on the bear's previous wanderings through that same neighborhood, he was known as the "Meatball-Eating Black Bear." A snip from KTLA's earlier news coverage:
Resident Joey Ball heard noises around 3 a.m. and got up to investigate. "He had steam coming out of his nose, and he had food on his face," Ball said. "It was crazy!"
The bear had entered the garage through an outside door that had been left open. "He had the refrigerator door open," Ball said. "… He had all these drawers laying around and there was food everywhere."
Ball said the hungry bear tore through the freezer, eating tuna and Costco meatballs.
He will now be returned to the Angeles National Forest, where he can roam in peace. No more Costco meatballs.
(via TV Spy, thanks, Miles O'Brien; photo: KTLA)