Suspect bear had attacked 5-year-old girl

A DNA test confirmed that a bear killed by wildlife officers was the same one that had attacked a 5yearold girl early Sunday near Grand Junction.

The child went to bed at 1:30 a.m. after staying up late waiting for her father to return home from a trip, according to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office. About an hour later, the girl heard noises in the yard and suspected that her dog was “throwing a fit” outside.

She went to investigate and sat down by the back door of the home, which is near the Colorado River between Grand Junction and Palisade. A black bear came around the front of the house and sniffed her. When the girl tried to go inside, the bear grabbed her.

The girl’s mother heard the screaming and went outside. She screamed at the bear, which then dropped the girl, according to the sheriff’s office.

The girl was taken to a hospital and had 77 external stitches and more internally.

After an investigation, the sheriff’s office determined that the parents’ actions leading to the incident were neither criminal nor negligent. It did not bring charges against them.

The bear was a 2yearold male that weighed 150 pounds, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. He was in good condition and tested negative for rabies.

Wildlife officials tracked the bear Sunday evening to the yard of a home about a halfmile away. Two officers watched the bear as it came within a few feet of their vehicle, looking into their open window.