The 400-pound black bear was spotted Sunday morning along Frederick Avenue in La Crescenta.
Fish and Game officials fired tranquilizer darts at the bear as he climbed down a tree. Meatball then ran two blocks to Clark Magnet High School, where he fell asleep. Officials then drove him back into the Angeles National Forest.
Meatball has wandered into local neighborhoods before, most recently in late June. He got his nickname from the time when he broke into a garage, got into a refrigerator and ate the meatballs inside.
Meatball has gotten so popular, someone created a Twitter account in his name.
