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Bear Attacks NJ Man, Takes His Sub Sandwich
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 2, 2009
Modified Jul 2, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 2, 2009
Modified Jul 2, 2009
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Never since Tony Soprano prowled his NJ kitchen has a big bear wanted Italian cold cuts so much! The Star-Ledger reports that Vernon resident Henry Rouwendal's "Italian hoagie, loaded with salami and other meats, lettuce, onions and tomatoes" was so tempting that a black bear knocked him down: "Rouwendal said was knocked, face-first to the ground. When he rolled over, the bear was standing over him and then grabbed the sandwich." The 52-year-old electrical engineer said, "I kicked him three times in the snout and one time in the throat. I think the one in the throat got him." The bear ran off—with the sandwich—as Rouwendal was left on the ground. It took him an hour to get up and go back inside his house; he has a "large cut on his left temple and several deep bruises on his knee, elbow and buttocks." The police are calling it an attack, but the NJ DEP doesn't think it's an attack. DEP deputy director Lawrence Herrighty said, "At this point, it just doesn't seem we will label this as an attack on a person. ... He has no bruises, claw marks or scratches or even a ripped shirt that indicates it was a purposeful attack by the bear."
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black bear
hoagie
hungry bear
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picknick basket
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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