"I was actually kind of scared," Marquez told KATU-TV. "I was like, what if it tries to come through the window, what if it goes through the door or something? Yeah, it was scary."
Marquez snapped a photo of the cougar from inside her living room window.
"When I first saw it I was pretty surprised, I mean that's something you think you'd see at the zoo not like in your back yard or front yard. When someone walked by we tried to get them in. But yeah, it was pretty scary," she told KGW-TV.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Oregon State Police confirmed they were investigating alongside the sheriff's office.
Residents said the nearby Sweetbriar Elementary School sent out a notice last week warning parents about recent big cat sightings in the area. Debbie Jensen, who works at the school, said staff have been carrying walkie talkies when outside with students, and the kids are being kept confined to a small area of the playground for added safety.
"They've got them in a covered area so they have more control over them, normally [they're in a bigger area]," Jensen said.
