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Altadena Homeowner Threatens Lawsuit Over Bear Under House as Wildlife Agency Defends Response

State wildlife officials say they remain engaged despite staffing limits.

Overview

  • Kenneth Johnson says a roughly 550‑pound, previously tagged bear has denned in his Altadena home's crawlspace since late November and continues to cause damage.
  • Johnson alleges the California Department of Fish and Wildlife told him to stand down and barred his own baiting attempts, and he plans to sue for negligence and emotional distress.
  • CDFW disputes stepping back, saying biologists remain in contact, have deployed traps, cameras, lights and hazing, and have urged Johnson to secure the crawlspace to prevent reentry.
  • A December 9 trapping effort caught and later released a smaller, non‑target bear, while reporting identifies the target animal as 'Yellow 2120,' a bear previously relocated about 10 miles that returned.
  • Johnson reports a broken pipe and says he shut off gas on Christmas Eve, leaving him without hot water, as recent footage shows the bear still emerging and returning to the crawlspace.