A quiet New Mexico home became the scene of a rare and devastating wildlife attack when a bear entered the residence and fatally injured a 67-year-old man.

Benjamin Halona, a widower from Crystal, New Mexico, was inside his home on Aug. 20 when the animal got inside.

His death has since shocked the local community — but his family says they do not want Halona to be remembered only for the extraordinary circumstances of his final moments.

They want people to remember the man they knew as a former wildland firefighter, a devoted family member and a beloved local tamale seller known as the “Tamale Man.”

His Stepson Returned to a Terrifying Scene
Halona was reportedly home while his stepson, Casey, went out to the post office.

According to family members, Casey remembered hearing Halona lock the front door before he left.

But when Casey returned, the door was open.

He soon realized there was a bear inside the house.

Instead of confronting the animal, Casey locked himself inside a room, pushed heavy furniture against the door and hid in a closet crawlspace while calling emergency services and relatives for help.

The frightening situation continued until family members arrived.

Halona’s niece, Samantha Vandever, said she and her mother saw the bear outside the residence. At her mother’s request, Samantha honked the car horn, causing the animal to flee toward nearby woods.

A Navajo Nation police officer subsequently shot the bear. Authorities later located the animal and killed it.

But it was already too late for Halona.

He had suffered fatal injuries during the attack.

A Tragedy Inside His Own Home
The circumstances have left Halona’s relatives with painful questions about how the bear got inside.

Family members noted that Halona’s walker remained undisturbed in his room.

They have wondered whether he may have heard someone at the door and believed his stepson had returned, potentially opening the door without realizing a bear was nearby.

That theory has not been confirmed by authorities, and investigators have not publicly established exactly how the animal entered the home.

What is known is that the attack happened around 1 p.m. on Aug. 20 in Crystal, a community within the Navajo Nation.

The Navajo Nation later confirmed the death and expressed condolences to Halona’s family.

President Buu Nygren also described the incident as a tragic loss for the community and urged residents to remain vigilant around wildlife.

Remembering the Man Behind the Headlines
For Halona’s family, the story is much bigger than the bear attack.

He had spent years working as a wildland firefighter for the Navajo Nation, a job that required him to confront dangerous conditions in the outdoors.

He was also known locally for making and selling tamales.

That earned him the affectionate nickname “Tamale Man.”

Family members said he was someone who did not have a lot materially but was still happy with his life.

“He was a really strong person,” his sister Gloria Halona said.

Halona had also been dealing with major personal hardships.

He had recently lost his wife, Bernadine, who died from illness in February. He was also recovering from a seizure and had limited mobility, sometimes requiring a walker or wheelchair.

His Love of Country Music
Among the memories his family wants to preserve is Halona’s love of country music.

Relatives recalled that he was a fan of singer Waylon Jennings.

At one point, family members even arranged a meeting between Halona and Jennings, where the two sang together.

According to his sister, Jennings complimented Halona’s voice and told him he sounded better than Willie Nelson.

She remembered it as one of the happiest moments of his life.

Those memories have become especially important to the family after his unexpected death.

A Rare Fatal Bear Attack
The attack was particularly unusual because fatal bear encounters are extremely rare in New Mexico.

The state had not recorded another fatal bear mauling since 2001, according to reporting cited by The Guardian.

The tragedy also came as wildlife officials were warning about increased human-bear conflicts across New Mexico.

Severe drought conditions can reduce natural food supplies, potentially bringing bears closer to homes and communities in search of food.

Officials have urged residents in bear country to secure garbage and other food sources and to avoid approaching wildlife.

The Navajo Nation has also emphasized that bears hold important cultural significance and should be treated with respect.

A Community Remembers “Tamale Man”
Halona’s funeral was held Aug. 29, just nine days after the attack.

For his family and friends, the gathering was not simply about mourning a man who died in a shocking wildlife encounter.

It was about remembering a father, stepfather, grandfather, great-grandfather, former firefighter and neighbor who brought homemade tamales to people in his community.

His death has drawn attention because of the extraordinary circumstances.

But his relatives hope the final image people carry of Benjamin Halona will be something different:

A strong man who loved his family, loved country music, worked hard and found happiness in a simple life.

The bear attack explains how his life ended.

His family wants his memories to explain who he was.

Course: NY Post