A man with a disability identified as Benjamin Halona was killed after being attacked by a bear that invaded his home in Crystal, a small community of the Navajo Nation, in New Mexico, on August 20. The case was the first fatal bear attack recorded in the state since 2001, according to information released by The Guardian. Halona was alone at home when his stepson Casey left to go to the post office. He faced health issues and was still recovering from a seizure that had compromised his mobility.
Upon returning, Casey found the door of the residence open and noticed that the animal was still inside the house. He took shelter in a bedroom and called emergency services. Samantha Vandever, Halona's great-niece, managed to scare the bear away when she arrived at the location and honked the car horn, causing the animal to flee to a nearby wooded area.
The bear was later located and killed by the Navajo Police Department. The attack rekindled warnings about the increase in bear sightings in the region, five days after the incident.
