In a tragic turn of events, the death of Patrice Miller, a 71-year-old woman from Sierra County, has been confirmed as the first documented fatal attack by a black bear on a human in California's history. The autopsy report, recently released by California's Department of Fish and Wildlife, provided conclusive evidence that Miller was killed by a bear, the Sierra County Sheriff's department confirmed.

Miller's lifeless body was discovered in her Downieville home last November during a welfare check conducted by a sheriff's deputy. Concerns were raised after a grocery store employee reported that Miller had not been seen or heard from for several days. Upon entering the residence, clear signs of a bear's presence inside the house were noticed by the authorities.

Initially, it was believed that Miller had died of natural causes, and the bear had broken into the house afterwards to feed on her remains. The bear responsible for the intrusion was eventually trapped and euthanized, according to the sheriff. However, the recently released autopsy report revealed that Miller's death was a result of the bear attack itself, contradicting the initial assumptions made by the officials.

Sheriff Michael Fisher stated, "Post investigation, we found out that she had been having some bear issues at the house. And after we concluded our coroner's investigation and removed her remains from the house, the bear continued to break into the house over and over again over the next several days."

Further investigations into the matter revealed that bears had been roaming around Miller's house for some time. It was reported that Miller would leave cat food on the front porch for her cats, attracting bears to the area. Additionally, the presence of garbage around the home might have further enticed the bears. Miller's daughter confirmed that her mother had taken steps to protect the household by installing bars on the windows to deter the persistent bear that frequently visited the property.

Steve Gonzalez from the fish and wildlife department emphasized the extraordinary nature of this incident, stating, "It's a big deal. That doesn't happen in California. Normally a bear is going to stay away from you, a bear that hasn't been normalized to human behavior."

The Sierra County Sheriff's department revealed that incidents involving bears are not uncommon in the area, with sightings and occasional encounters reported. However, the vast majority of these encounters are non-threatening, with bears typically rummaging through garbage or breaking into cars for food and retreating when they encounter humans.

In a related matter, the sheriff stated that another bear responsible for breaking into houses in the mountain community had also been euthanized recently. Efforts are underway to ensure the safety of the local community and reduce the chances of similar incidents occurring.

The tragic death of Patrice Miller serves as a chilling reminder of the importance of securing food sources and taking necessary precautions to coexist with wildlife in areas prone to bear encounters. Authorities continue to urge residents to properly manage their waste and refrain from providing food sources that may attract bears, ensuring the safety of both humans and wildlife alike.