What began as a simple anniversary escape for one couple in Gatlinburg turned into a memorable wildlife encounter when a curious bear transformed their tea shop visit into an unexpected adventure. Captured on video, the bear made its way into the store, sifting through items before leaping onto the counter, startling everyone present.

Victoria Puyol and Joshua Card were in Gatlinburg celebrating seven years together. While exploring, they made a stop at The Spice & Tea Exchange on a seemingly typical Friday. However, their visit quickly took a surprising twist when Card noticed the unanticipated bear near the shop’s entrance.

“There’s a bear,” Card recalled expressing as he processed the unusual sight.

Initially, Puyol was confounded by what she heard. It wasn’t until both Card and the store clerk reiterated their incredulity that she turned to see the bear firmly planted in the doorway.

The couple recalled guidance to back away from bears, but as they stepped away, the bear ventured farther into the store. The clerk directed them behind the register, where they had access to an emergency exit.

The curious intruder appeared particularly interested in the shop’s inventory, tearing into a sweet-tea blend and investigating tea diffusers as a crowd gathered outside. An employee from a neighboring store sounded an air horn, the couple said, but it appeared to have little effect on the bear.

Card began recording as the bear approached the counter.

“Hey, what you doing there, buddy?” Card can be heard saying in the video.

The bear then turned and jumped onto the counter, prompting Card to step backward.

“He’s talking to this thing like it’s a puppy,” Puyol recalled. “It’s a bear. It’s not a puppy. It’s a bear.”

Card said he initially thought the animal might have been a “show bear” on a leash with a handler nearby because they were in such a populated area. He quickly realized it was a wild bear.

Card, a military veteran who also has experience as a lifeguard, said his background dealing with emergency situations helped shape his reaction. He described feeling uncertain about what the young animal was capable of and whether he should intervene or simply give it space.

“This didn’t really feel like an emergency,” Card said. “It felt unpredictable to me.”

Card said the bear appeared more curious than aggressive.

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“He didn’t really seem threatened,” he said. “Even when he jumped up on the counter, I was like, okay, well, I’m going to take a step back.”

Puyol said she was more shocked than frightened.

“I wasn’t scared,” she said. “I was just shocked.”

“I wasn’t like, ‘Oh my God, it’s a bear, I’m going to die,'” she continued. “No, it was like, there’s a wild animal, like eight feet away from me.”

Adding to the irony, Puyol said she had repeatedly told Card before the trip that she hoped to see a bear during their anniversary getaway.

“Be careful what you wish for because I wanted to see a bear, not that up close and personal,” she said.

The clerk eventually told the couple about another exit through the second floor, but the bear suddenly ran out before they needed to use it. Card and the clerk then shut the door and waited to make sure it was safe before leaving.

Puyol estimated the entire encounter lasted roughly 10 to 15 minutes.

The couple said store employees told them the bear appeared to be a repeat visitor and had entered the business earlier in the week.

The shop also posted a photo of a bear earlier in the week with the caption, “This young bear came into our shop today, snagged some sugar and came back for more!”

Now that they made it out safely, the couple said the encounter made for an anniversary they will never forget.

“The trip has been filled with oddities, and so this just kind of … fuels that whole experience,” Card said.

News Media has reached out to The Spice & Tea Exchange of Gatlinburg for additional information.

In a shocking turn of events, Brooklyn police are on the trail of a dangerous gunman who unleashed chaos on a city street Wednesday afternoon. In the incident, a woman with developmental delays narrowly escaped harm, while her family’s cherished dog wasn’t as lucky, sustaining a gunshot wound.

Law enforcement officials report that the assailant fearlessly brandished a firearm in the clear light of day, aiming at an unnamed man but missing. Instead, the stray bullet struck the woman’s dog, which fortunately later underwent surgery to remove the bullet.

The traumatizing scene involved 64-year-old Teresa Pezzolla, who was taking her regular stroll with her dog when the unexpected violence erupted. Her nephew recounted to The Post, “Aunt Teresa was casually walking the dog towards 5th Avenue.”

He added, “This is part of her usual routine, just taking the dog around the block, when suddenly this young man appeared, shooting at someone else. Unfortunately, it was the dog that got hit instead.”

The NYPD states that the alarming act of gunfire occurred around 5:46 p.m., right in front of 218 31st Street in the area of Greenwood Heights.

“So I’m thankful that the bullet didn’t hit my aunt because I think it would have been a lot worse,” continue Pezzolla’s nephew.

While the sicko’s intended target escaped unharmed, the shooter’s errant bullet slammed into a seven-year-old Honey, a labradoodle.

Pezzolla, who is developmentally delayed, walked back to the home with the animal, and her sister quickly called an cab and got the pup to an emergency vet.

“My mother called in a cab right away, got the dog to an emergency room — and the doctors there were able to pull a 22 caliber right out of the dog,” Pezzolla’s nephew explained.

When he got home, he immediately asked Pezzolla where the harrowing attack occurred.

“I walked my aunt outside, and I told her, ‘show me exactly where this happened,’ and I had the two police officers follow me from behind and, you know, she was able to point out exactly where this happened,” he said.

Nearby police officers happened upon the scene and asked what’s going on.

“I started looking around 5th Avenue and that’s when two cops rolled up on me and asked me what was going on and I told them. And that’s when the cops jumped into action.”

Authorities were able to obtain surveillance footage from nearby cameras.

“I’ve been living in the neighborhood since I was a child,” the nephew explained.

“This is the first time anything like this has ever happened, a shooting in the area.”

“My aunt is very shaken up.”

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at  on X @NYPDTips.

Recently released audio from air traffic control has captured the harrowing incident when an American Airlines pilot reported a laptop igniting into flames aboard a crowded flight, which led to smoke engulfing the cabin and causing injuries to several passengers.

The incident occurred on American Airlines Flight 2398, which was en route from Atlanta to Dallas, carrying 133 passengers. About half an hour before landing, a passenger’s laptop began emitting smoke before igniting, escalating the scare mid-flight.

‘There’s a fire at the back of the cabin,’ the pilot hurriedly relayed to air traffic controllers, detailing the chaotic scene unfolding on the Airbus A321.

‘Flight attendants are currently attempting to extinguish it,’ he added in his urgent communication.

Shortly thereafter, the pilot provided another, more distressing, update on the situation.

‘I think we have about four to five passengers that were burned by the laptop,’ he said. ‘The laptop is contained about mid-aircraft.’

The dramatic incident sent smoke pouring through the cabin as passengers scrambled away from the burning computer and flight attendants raced to contain it.

Passenger Jessica Irgens, who was sitting just two rows away, told CBS News that the laptop began smoking before catching fire, quickly creating enough smoke that she ran toward the rear of the aircraft.

The owner of the computer placed the burning device in the aisle, Irgens said, while one or two fellow passengers who attempted to help suffered burns to their hands.

Flight attendants then managed to secure the smoldering laptop inside a special thermal containment bag within around five minutes.

Despite the pilot’s initial report that as many as five people may have suffered burns, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport said one passenger ultimately received medical treatment after the aircraft landed. 

That person was treated and released at the scene. The aircraft landed safely at DFW at approximately 6:55pm. 

Emergency personnel were waiting for Flight 2398 when it arrived, and the aircraft was able to taxi to its gate.

American Airlines praised the crew’s response to the potentially dangerous situation.

‘American Airlines flight 2398 landed safely at DFW after reports of smoke from a customer’s device during landing,’ the airline said.

‘We thank our crew for their professionalism and swift response to quickly contain the device.’

The FAA has now launched an investigation into the incident.

Laptops, cellphones, tablets and portable battery packs have become ubiquitous aboard commercial flights, but the powerful batteries inside them can, in rare circumstances, dangerously overheat.

The phenomenon is known as ‘thermal runaway.’

It can occur when a battery cell generates heat faster than it can dissipate it, potentially producing smoke, intense heat and fire.

‘Thermal runaway can occur without warning as a result of various factors, including if the battery is damaged, overheated, exposed to water, overcharged, or improperly packed,’ the FAA warns.

The danger has prompted regulators to impose strict rules surrounding lithium batteries aboard commercial aircraft.

Spare lithium batteries and power banks, for example, are required to remain in carry-on baggage rather than checked luggage so that a problem can be spotted and dealt with inside the cabin.

The FAA also restricts the size of lithium batteries passengers are permitted to carry because of the potential fire risk.

FAA figures show there has been 56 incidents involving lithium batteries producing smoke, fire or extreme heat aboard aircraft this year.

A Brazilian woman has been found guilty of deceiving a foster family into believing she was a child, residing with them for over a year under this pretense, authorities confirmed this week.

Identified as Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira, the 37-year-old was convicted of both fraud and assuming a false identity on Thursday. This verdict was disclosed in a translated announcement from Brazil’s Court of Justice of Santa Catarina.

Oliveira lived with the unsuspecting family as their daughter for 14 months. Her ruse fell apart after the family discovered she falsely claimed to be escaping from abuse.

Subsequently, Oliveira confessed to fabricating her age and identity, as confirmed by the court.

Oliveira had been living falsely as a child for 15 years in an “elaborate fraud,” the Washington Post reported, using a high-pitched, childlike voice and even telling people she had been forced to get hormones to make her look older.

She was sentenced to one year, six months and 10 days in prison, along with four months and 18 days of detention.

One of her lawyers, Lúcio Sousa, said that Oliveira’s scheme was how she “survived.”

“She admits that she invented an identity,” Sousa said before the verdict, according to the Post. “It was the way she found to survive. But she has been a vulnerable person for more than 20 years. 

“She has lived on the streets, and there has been no allegation that she obtained any financial advantage, or committed robbery or theft, which, in theory, means the elements of fraud have not been established.”

Oliveira said she never meant to hurt anyone.

“Of course, I deceived people, I lied,” she said, according to police, the Post reported. “But I didn’t intend to scam anyone.”

She said she wanted to experience the love she never got as a child.

“There was a certain void in me, a need to have that kind of care, so I always sought it out,” she said.

After the verdict, Sousa said in a statement on Instagram, they would “pursue all appropriate legal measures and appeals before the higher courts.”

JJ Bleday, enjoying arguably the peak performance of his baseball career, was considered a valuable trade asset as the August 3rd deadline loomed.

The Cincinnati Reds, however, decided to hold onto him, a move that proved fruitful on Saturday night.

The 28-year-old left fielder accomplished the rare feat of hitting for the cycle in just six innings, guiding the Reds to an impressive 11-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Batting third in the lineup, Bleday initiated the scoring spree with a double in the first inning, driving in Elly De La Cruz, who had himself started the game with a double.

Returning to the batter’s box in the third inning, Bleday tripled, bringing home the promising rookie Sal Stewart, and completing the cycle’s most challenging element. He later scored on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Stephenson, another key player retained at the deadline despite his contract nearing its expiration.

Now batting with one out in the fourth and De La Cruz and Stewart aboard, Bleday grounded a single through the right side to load the bases.

Clearly unsatisfied with his three hits and two RBIs in what was at that point was already a blowout, Bleday sent the first pitch of the sixth inning for a solo home run that barely scraped over the wall in right to complete the eighth cycle in franchise history and fourth in the MLB this season.

Though Bleday has been one of the Reds’ top sluggers this season, he found his career hanging in the balance just eight months ago, when the AL West bottom-feeding A’s declined to tender him a contract in the offseason.

Cincinnati took a chance on a one-year, $1.4 million deal, a contract that he has more than lived up to.

Elly De La Cruz nearly joined Bleday in the history books on Saturday, too.

De La Cruz, who went 4-for-6, finished a triple shy of his second career cycle — and it wouldn’t have been too much a surprise if the speedster, who has 29 three-baggers over his four-year career, completed the task. If it happened, the duo would have been the first teammates in MLB history to hit for the cycle in the same game.

He ended his night with a solo home run, double and two singles.

The sixth-inning homer was Bleday’s 21st of the season, second on the team behind Stewart. He leads the Reds in walks and is third in RBIs despite playing the first month of the season in Triple-A.

Much of Bleday’s impact has been for naught, though, as the Reds find themselves last in the division and far out of even a wild card spot. Cincinnati has struggled with rotation injuries and has been, apart from the trio at the top of the lineup, in the dumps on offense.