A bear was spotted in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles, near De Soto Avenue and Lassen Street.

CHATSWORTH, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Southern California foothills communities are no strangers to bear sightings, but residents of the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles were surprised by a bear spotted roaming their suburban streets.

The bear, which was wearing a collar and tag, was spotted Monday night in an industrial area near De Soto Avenue and Lassen Street. Los Angeles police officers responded to the scene and observed the bear wandering between industrial buildings and parking lots, but eventually let the animal roam.

Early Tuesday morning, the bear was spotted nestled high in a tree in the same area.

Neighborhood residents said they heard about the bear through the Citizens app and couldn’t believe how close it had come to the city. Many rushed to the area in hopes of catching a glimpse of it for themselves.

“He jumped a couple fences and ran across the street,” said Crystal Amaya of Canoga Park. “I’ve always wanted to see a bear and I never thought I’d see him here in my hometown… I don’t like animals getting hurt, so I hope he ends up safe.”

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said it attempted to capture the bear Monday, but it did not enter the trap.

In a statement, the department said the bear was between three and five years old. She was captured in late May in Claremont and released into the Angeles National Forest. Since then, wildlife officials said she has wandered down the 210 Freeway to the Malibu area.

The department said it was sending human-wildlife conflict personnel to the area to determine next steps.

“In general, we hope that wildlife will find their way back to suitable habitat on their own. Sometimes, if the path back is not obvious (such as a greenbelt or a dry riverbed) and the animal appears unable to find it, we may intervene, chemically immobilize the animal and return it to the nearest suitable habitat. We make this decision carefully, considering both the animals and public safety,” wildlife officials said in a statement.