3 schools in La Canada Flintridge area temporarily locked down amid bear sighting

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, Calif. (KABC) -- Three La Canada Flintridge area schools were temporarily put on precautionary lockdown due to a bear sighting in the backyard of a nearby home Thursday, authorities said.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department tweeted at about 12:30 p.m. that deputies were "monitoring" the bear in the yard of the house on the 4800 block of Daleridge Road.

Authorities said La Canada High School, St. Francis High School and Crestview Preparatory School were locked down as a precautionary measure. Deputies also notified other schools in the area.

By 1:05 p.m., the lockdowns were lifted and authorities said the bear, later described as a 3-year-old female, was "contained" in a tree.

Randall Bradley and his mom, Trisha Stites, said they were shocked to see the bear in their backyard.

"It was hanging out in the backyard, eating some weeds, and then he decided to climb up the tree, and he's sitting in the tree hanging over the house right now," Stites explained.

Authorities eventually got the bear down after shooting it with tranquilizer darts. They also used a hose to spray water on it and coax the animal down.

The bear was examined, and authorities said it wasn't injured in the chaos.

The bear was given water and taken to the Angeles National Forest.