Punitive Damages Sought for Fatal Bear Attack

CLEVELAND (CN) - A black bear mauled a man to death at a wild animal park, his estate claims in court.

The Estate of Brent Kandra sued property owner C. Metro Homes and co-owner William Arroyo, both of Strongville, in Cuyahoga County Court. They are the only defendants.

The defendants allowed Sam Mazzola to run a wild animal park at the property in Columbia Station, Ohio, according to the complaint. It claims that the "defendants possessed the right to force Mazzola to discontinue his dangerous operations on the property but refused to do so."

Kandra, who was 24 when he died on Aug. 9, 2010, suffered more than 600 wounds in the attack, The Chronicle-Telegram newspaper reported at the time.

Mazzola told the newspaper that Kandra had worked at the park, but was there that day as a visitor. He entered the bear's cage to feed it doughnuts and corn when the bear attacked, according to the Chronicle-Telegram. Among his injuries were two fractured ribs, a puncture wound in the heart, and a lacerated spleen, kidney and lung.

The estate claims that the defendants' acts "rose to the level of willful, wanton and malicious misconduct."

The estate seeks punitive damages for survivorship and wrongful death. It is represented by W. Craig Bashein of Bashein & Bashein, in Cleveland.

The plaintiff, Deirdre Herbert, is administratrix of the estate.

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