Bear invades Pinetop-Lakeside couple's home at night

An Arizona couple came face-to-face with a black bear, as they were at home and asleep in their own beds.

The unwanted intruder tried to climb inside their bedroom window, and it happened in Northeastern Arizona, at Pinetop-Lakeside, about three hours outside the Valley.

One can tell, by the nightstand at the Browns' home that it was a chaotic night for the family, inside their home.

The window was open, but screened, and pictures show how the bear mangled and tore at the window, trying to get in.

"We see bears up here all the time, but I have never, in 60-plus years of living here, had one try and come in my home," said Terry Brown, in a phone interview. "This one was pretty intent on coming in my home."

It was 1:30 a.m. when Rhonda and Terry Brown were awakened by their barking dogs. At first, the couple thought it was a raccoon. That changed, when Terry went to the open bedroom window to scare it off.

"At that moment, a paw came through the shutters and tore them off the wall, and I saw a bear standing there," said Terry. "I figured it's time to take more drastic actions, and that's when I picked up my pistol and fired."

Terry fired three shots, and said he doesn't know if he hit the animal before it ran off. The Browns said they will contact Game & Fish to report the incident, and they also want to warn people in the Pinetop-Lakeside area of an aggressive bear.

Also, no more open windows at night for this couple.

"She doesn't even want to sleep in that bedroom anymore. She's scared to death," said Terry. "She said, 'you will not leave any more windows open in our bedroom.' I said, 'OK, dear'."

Arizona Game & Fish Department - Living With Bears
https://www.azgfd.com/wildlife/livingwith/bears/