Roaming bear spotted in Carpinteria sparks reverse 911 over weekend

A brown-colored bear spotted near a residential area of Carpinteria over the weekend sparked a reverse 911 notification for area residents.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office posted on their Facebook page that deputies were dispatched to the area where the bear was spotted and eventually located it walking eastbound on Foothill Road Sunday morning.

The bear fled into El Carro Park through a pedestrian gate at the east end of Cambridge Lane.

Out of an abundance of caution, authorities sent a reverse 911 notification to residents in the area of Linden Avenue, Casitas Pass Road, and Via Real letting them know of the bear sighting.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife wardens were called and attempted to contain the bear but said they were not in the best position to tranquilize it, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Unable to tranquilize it, the wardens decided to let the bear stay enclosed in a nursery with the gates open hoping the bear would find its way back to the mountains.

It’s unclear if the bear was ultimately able to be relocated back to its home but the Sheriff’s Office ends their online post with a warning to residents to stay vigilant for further bear sightings.