How black bear nicknamed ‘Big B*****d’ stalked elderly California woman for months before cops uncovered blood-soaked scene at her home – as shocked locals give stark warning: ‘It’s easy pickins for them’

A black bear named ‘Big B*****d’ chased a 71-year-old California woman for months before she was found mauled to death – with shocked locals clearly warning: ‘It’s easy for them.’

Patrice Miller lived in the remote mountain town of Downieville. After the fatal attack, she was found on the kitchen floor, ravaged by bite marks and claw marks, and partially eaten, the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office said.

Neighbor Cassie Koch, 55, who was helping Miller with groceries, had not heard from her friend and asked officers to conduct a welfare check before the grim discovery was made.

Miller, who lived alone with her two cats, came into contact with the bear regularly – so often – that she gave the animal a nickname. Koch said the bear tried to enter her home two weeks before her death, but Miller was able to scare the bear off.

In September, Miller denied a depredation permit from the state Department of Fish & Wildlife — a last resort measure that allows the animal to be shot before it causes serious damage, the department said.

Koch described Miller as a “kind person who wanted the bear that tried to break into her home removed, but not hurt,” she told the newspaper. San Francisco Chronicle.

Patrice Miller, 71, of the remote mountain town of Downieville, was found dead after the fatal bear attack in November 2023. She was found on the kitchen floor, devastated by bite marks and claw marks, and partially eaten, officials said.

A black bear is pictured on the surveillance camera in November 2023

Miller’s death is the first documented human fatality caused by a black bear in California history.

Downieville, where the attack occurred, has a population of 105, according to a 2022 U.S. census.

The small town is located in Sierra County, on the North Fork of the Yuba River, about a two-hour drive from the state capital, Sacramento.

Koch, 55, a longtime resident, told the news station, “When I was a kid, you never saw a bear in town. Now they are all ready and making their rounds.

She added: “They’re easy choices for them.”

Koch said that before Miller died, she often confronted the bear that was trying to enter her home and was afraid.

“It seemed like the bear was trying to break into her house every night,” Koch recalled.

“At first I thought, ‘Oh, this annoying bear.’ But then she seemed scared of it.”

According to a coroner’s report, Miller “physically struck a bear to prevent it from entering her home,” the news source said.

When Miller was found, her home had been ransacked, the cabinets torn off and trash strewn about.

A state depredation permit was issued and a bear on the property was trapped and euthanized, according to Fisher.

It took two days to capture the bear after the trap was set, as reported by The Mountain Messenger.

An autopsy subsequently revealed that Miller had died “as a result of a bear mauling or a swipe and a bite to the neck.”

DNA testing confirmed that the first euthanized bear was responsible for Miller’s murder.

Miller lived with her two cats in a rental home in Downieville. The city has a population of 105, according to the U.S. Census, and is about a two-hour drive from Sacramento. Her house is depicted with wooden planks for the windows and door. The porch of the house appears damaged

Officials explained that the bear that bothered Miller is known to officials as a “public safety bear” due to its repeated aggressive behavior.

For further protection, Miller had steel black bars installed on her windows.

Officials say California’s black bear population has grown from about 10,000 to 15,000 since 1982 and to as many as 65,000 last year.

It is believed that about 40% of bears live in the Sierra Nevada, where an excessive amount of food is accessible to them – and their natural ecosystem has been invaded.

Experts believe that bears have learned to feel more comfortable in areas where people are present, making encounters more common, but also more dangerous.