Bear climbs into woman's van, eats lunch

July 12 (UPI) -- A Georgia woman who thought she spotted a large cat in her minivan took a closer look and discovered a black bear eating her lunch.

Carrie Watts said her van was parked outside the home where she works as a caretaker and the windows were down due to the heat.

Watts said she was vacuuming in the home when she looked out the window and spotted movement inside the van.

She said she thought the animal was a large black cat, but she then realized it was a black bear.

"I panicked. I started screaming. I didn't know who to call, didn't know how to get it out," Watts told WSB-TV.

Watts said the bear stole her lunch, composed of "a sandwich, some chips and a cookie."

She said the bear was undeterred when she set off the van's theft alarm and remained in the vehicle for some time before attempting to leave with her purse, which it dropped outside the van.

"If you're on Lake Burton, don't leave your windows down. Especially if there's any kind of food or crumbs in the car," Watts said.