A disabled New Mexico man was killed in a rare fatal bear attack after the animal forced its way into his home while his stepson had stepped out to run an errand.
Authorities say it marks New Mexico’s first deadly bear mauling since 2001.
Benjamin Halona was inside his home in Crystal, New Mexico, on August 20 when his stepson, Casey, left briefly to visit the post office, The Guardian reported.
Halona had recently lost his wife, Bernadine, who died in February after an illness. He had also been dealing with serious health challenges of his own and was still recovering from a seizure that had left him with mobility problems in the months leading up to the attack.
During Casey’s absence, a bear entered the house and mauled Halona.
When Casey returned, he noticed the door was open, despite having locked it before he left, according to The Guardian.
After realizing the bear was still inside the home, Casey shut himself in his bedroom, barricaded the door and hid in a closet. He then called emergency services, as well as his stepfather’s sister, Gloria Halona, and her daughter, Samantha Vandever, The Guardian reported.
Vandever said in an interview with The Guardian that when she arrived, she honked her car horn, frightening the bear and causing it to flee.
Malona, 67, was a beloved community member who had suffered a seizure which left him with limited mobility a few months before he succumbed to his injuries following the bear attack
Malona lived in Crystal, a small unincorporated community on the Navajo Nation in New Mexico. He was buried on a family plot in Crystal on August 29
Navajo Police Department warned residents about increased bear sightings in the last two weeks five days after the fatal attack
Police shot the bear but it fled into the woods nearby. The bear was then located and neutralized, according to a statement by the Navajo Police Department.
Halona’s niece, Aunya Vandever, said in a social media post: ‘He was recently in the hospital and wasn’t very mobile and had been given a walker to utilize. He wasn’t strong enough to take on this bear nor did he provoke it.’
The Navajo Police Department put out a statement five days after the tragic incident warning residents about an increase in bear sightings within the last two weeks.
‘Drought and low moisture mean less natural food, so bears are traveling farther and taking bigger risks. They’re hungry, and also getting ready for hibernation,’ the statement said.
They advised residents to keep their doors and windows closed, and make sure not to leave household garbage, livestock feed or pet food out in the open.
A funeral service was held for Halona last week at the Family Church Assembly of God in Fort Defiance, Arizona. He was buried in Crystal, New Mexico, a small unincorporated community on the Navajo Nation.
In a letter to the editor of the Navajo Times, Halona’s family wrote: ‘Our father may no longer be here with us in person, but his love, memories, teachings, and the life he shared with us will remain in our hearts forever.
We will continue to honor his memory by carrying the love he gave us and the lessons he taught us into the generations that follow.’
Halona’s family are focusing on the positive impact their family member left during his time. In an interview with The Guardian, they shared that he was fiercely proud of his time serving his reservation as a wildland firefighter.
His friends and loved ones would affectionately refer to him as Ponjo, Mountain Man and Tamale Man, in reference to his beloved tamales which he sold locally.
Samantha Vandever said to The Guardian: ‘He endured a lot in his life – especially during his death. And we’re all heartbroken that this had to happen to him.’
