Crime & Safety

210 Briefly Closed as Officials Deal with Bear Wandering near Rose Bowl

John Muir High School is placed on lockdown. The eastboud 210 Freeway is shut down. Patch will keep updating this story as more information is available. Follow Patch Storify links here for live updates.

By City News Service

A bear roamed through some backyards and open areas of Pasadena Thursday and then made its own way back into the wild, but not before police and wildlife officials set up a containment area in hopes of tranquilizing it and an elementary school was locked down.

Authorities were notified of the roaming bear in the area of Cleveland Elementary School, 524 Palisade St., about 3 p.m., according to Andrew Hughan of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, who said wardens were called to the scene to try and help capture the animal.

Police urged residents north of the Rose Bowl to stay in their homes. KCAL9 reported that John Muir High School was placed on lockdown.

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"This is not uncommon at this time of the year," Hughan said. "The bears are trying to fatten up for the winter and this guy (bear) got a little lost."

The bear "retreated to its natural habitat" round 5 p.m. and the containment was broken down, said Pasadena police Lt. Vasken Gourdikian.

Find out what's happening in Pasadenawith free, real-time updates from Patch.



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