NEVADA CITY, Calif. — Like many people, Al Aragon has a morning routine that consists of getting ready for work and making something to eat. But a hungry bear had a different plan for Al and his wife, Melissa Bryant, early Monday morning.
Aragon woke up to find the bear in his Nevada City home shortly before 5 a.m., he told ABC10. He spotted it while walking to the kitchen to make breakfast.
His first reaction was to scream, Aragon said. Bryant grabbed their cat, ran to their bedroom and locked the door.
On the video, the bear is seen eating food. It even managed to open the freezer, and chomp on some Eggo waffles, Bryant told ABC10.
"He's looking at us now. Go away," Aragon is heard saying on the video. "You need to go."
The bear is also seen walking to the pantry and eating more food.
“He liked the cheerios. He was all about the cheerios,” Bryant said.
At one point, the bear even managed to open a bottle of Nesquik, she said.
Eventually, Bryant was able to open the side door while the bear had its back turned, and the bear walked away after about 15 minutes inside.
“In the video, the bear looks big, but when it’s 10 feet from you, it's even bigger and, when it's in your kitchen, it's even bigger!” Aragon said.
While the couple said the event was terrifying, they also said it was somehow serene at the same time. Having lived in the wooded area for 18 years, they kept calm during the situation and said they were lucky to have a mild-tempered bear pay them a visit.
“We’re in their place. We’re in their country, and we’ve all moved into where all these animals want to live,” Bryant said.
After the experience, the couple said they’re planning to keep the doors locked now.
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