5 min read UPDATED: Mother Bear Hides In Tree For Hours After Man Kills Her Cubs

<p> Jefferson County Sheriff's Office </p>

UPDATE: The Jefferson County District Attorney's Office filed charges against Daniel C. Williams on Thursday, including two felony counts and six misdemeanor counts. He could face up to 4.5 years in prison and significant fines. A mother black bear thought she was taking her young cubs out to find some food. Instead, she watched them die. Early Tuesday morning, the young bear family found some unsecured trash cans in Evergreen, Colorado, and began to rummage through them. They were spotted by the homeowner, Daniel C. Williams. Instead of leaving the bears alone or calling officials, Williams decided to scare them off. He first fired two rounds of rubber buckshot at them, both of which missed. When his dog slipped outside, he fired a round of live ammunition at the cubs, hitting both of them at once and a neighbor's window.

Two bear cubs were shot & both died on Lupine. Deputies are currently monitoring mama bear who climbed up a nearby tree #BearWatch

- Jeffco Sheriff (@jeffcosheriffco) September 1, 2015

One of the young cubs died instantly as his mother watched. The other was severely injured and had to be euthanized. The frightened mother bear ran across the street and into a nearby tree. Traumatized by watching her cubs die, she clung to its branches for 15 hours as officials cordoned off the area to keep her safe and waited for her to come down. Although the district attorney hasn't yet taken action, Williams is facing a number of charges including felony illegal discharge of a weapon, harassing wildlife with a dog and unlawful hunting.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Office

But while charges won't bring the little cubs back, the tragedy stands as a harsh reminder of the responsibilities humans need to take on when living near animals. Surprisingly, unsecured trash cans are one of the biggest human risks to black bears. Once bears realize humans hand out food, they lose the desire to forage for themselves and spend more time around developed areas. Of course, most homeowners don't shoot at bears who enter their property. But the more time bears spend around humans, the more likely it is that incidents like this will happen - or that wildlife officials will put a bear down as a "nuisance" animal. It appears this homeowner didn't take the precaution of using bear-proof trash cans, which would have stopped the animals from lingering on his property, making the incident all the more senseless. And while it might not seem like it, this mother bear actually lucked out - Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the local sheriff's department teamed up to ensure that she left the area safely. Many wildlife departments aren't so kind, especially when bears are in human neighborhoods.

We are happy to report that mama bear has come down safely from the tree in Evergreen. Thank you @COParksWildlife & neighbors #BearWatch

- Jeffco Sheriff (@jeffcosheriffco) September 2, 2015