Authorities say bear owned by animal-wrestling exhibitor fatally mauls man in Ohio

Ohio officials: Exhibitor-owned bear kills man

COLUMBIA STATION, Ohio — Authorities say a bear whose owner once staged wrestling shows featuring the animals has mauled a 24-year-old man to death in Ohio.

The coroner’s office in Cleveland say Brent Kandra of Elyria (eh-LEER’-ee-uh) died Friday morning at MetroHealth Medical Center. No other information was released.

The victim was taken by medical helicopter after Thursday evening’s attack in Columbia Station southwest of Cleveland. Deputies say the bear was contained in its cage after the attack.

The sheriff’s office says the bear is owned by Sam Mazzola, who used to offer people the chance to wrestle a black bear at a Cleveland expo. A rescue squad took Mazzola from the scene Thursday with an unspecified medical problem.