LAKE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - He is big and burly and scared some homeowners half to death. We're talking about a big black bear.

Lake County Sheriff's Office says the bear broke into a Lois Timmerman's car as it sat in her driveway in Altoona. That's just on the outskirts of the Ocala National Forest .

"It's really scary they will go to those lengths to get what they want," said Timmerman's daughter Sarah Phelps.

Early Tuesday morning, as Phelps and her mother were sleeping, a black bear came followed the scent of trash to the car. Phelps says her mom stashed two trash bags in the trunk for safe keeping.

Ironically enough Phelps and her mom took the advice of the national forest on how to keep trash away from bears, one of the options, storing the garbage in a closed vehicle with a hard top but that didn't stop the big old bear.

The whole back window was smashed in and the back seat was completely torn up there was foam on the ground and foam all in the backseat of the car.

At first glance in the dark of night Phelps thought a human had broken into the car. In the light of day the truth was easy to see.

"They saw the claw marks and foam and determined it was a bear and the snout print on the back of the trunk," said Phelps.

The bear never got to the trash, Phelps thinks maybe he got frustrated and gave up.

The home is tucked just inside the edge of Ocala National Forest. The family says they have problems with bears before but not in awhile.

Lake County Sheriff's Office says it appears Phelps did everything right here. Officials with the Ocala National Forest advise folks to never leave their trash out instead put it in bear-resistant containers.