Bear breaks into 5 homes in Sierra Madre within 2-hour span

SIERRA MADRE, Calif. (KABC) -- A search is underway for a large bear that went on a break-in spree in Sierra Madre.

The Sierra Madre Police Department says it received five reports of bear activity in less than two hours Thursday afternoon.

All the reports involved the animal breaking into properties, including four homes and a garage. Only one of those structures was occupied at the time. Nobody was hurt.

The bear was captured on video as it walked along fences and ran around the north part of the city.

Responding officers were eventually able to divert the animal in the wildland above the residential neighborhood.

Thursday's sighting comes just days after a man in Monrovia said a bear was living under his house. The homeowner said the bear was hanging out in the crawl space and would come and go.

Another bear sighting in Monrovia has the whole neighborhood talking. The bear broke into the crawl space of a home and won't leave.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger has demanded a better response from state and wildlife officials.

The board approved her motion which asks the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to add more staff who know how to handle encounters between bears and humans.

The Sierra Madre Police Department says residents should call 911 if they ever feel threatened by a bear or other animal.