Doughnuts lure bear into trap

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Glazed or jelly? A black bear roaming around a Florida city proved no match for the doughnuts that lured the animal into a humane trap.

The Fort Myers News-Press reports that the juvenile 250-pound bear spent a good chunk of Tuesday morning meandering around the Gulf coast city. Wildlife officials say bears tend to move more in the spring in search of mates and, as always, food.

In such a congested area, tranquilizing the bear wasn’t an option, said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Officer Adam Brown. He said the drugs don’t always work immediately on large animals such as bears.

“When we use a tranquilizer the bear sometimes will run away, and we didn’t want to take any chance of it running into traffic or the residential area,” he said.

So instead, officers turned to doughnuts from Krispy Kreme and some blueberry pie-scented spray in a trap. That did the trick.

Brown said the bear was relocated to a state-managed wildlife area. Authorities estimate there are about 4,000 black bears in Florida.

Homeowner fatally shoots man

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) — A Florida homeowner fatally shot a Georgia man who broke through his front door and began beating a woman inside, sheriff’s officials said.

Nathan Jerrell Edwards, 31, was pronounced dead Tuesday morning at the home in Panama City, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.

Witnesses told deputies that Edwards had been walking down the street, “screaming and swearing … acting very aggressively and erratically,” the post stated. He said the man threatened him, so he retreated inside his house to get away.

Deputies said Edwards then smashed through the glass front door and began beating a woman inside. The homeowner, who is in his 70s, went upstairs and got his gun, firing several shots at Edwards. The woman was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Authorities learned Edwards had been staying at a rental home with friends nearby, according to a separate post. Investigators found illegal drugs, a gun and money, as well as children. Each adult inside the home was arrested and charged with child neglect and other charges.