California couple baffled by ice block that plummeted through roof
A California couple has been left baffled after a slab of ice plummeted from the sky and into their attic, leaving a massive hole in their roof.
Jon and Renae LeClair said the “sonic boom” of the ice crashing through their Big Bear home just past 10:30 p.m. Aug. 8 was so startling that they thought they were being invaded by intruders.
“My wife came out and she thinks somebody’s breaking into the house. I said I don’t think so; it was like a cannon shot,” Jon told ABC 7.
The pair investigated the home to find shattered glass scattered throughout, but no signs of strangers or thieves.
There also wasn’t evidence that a bear broke into the home, as Renae also theorized to be a possibility, considering their property is surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest.
Instead, they found a 24-by-24-inch hole in their roof and a block of ice the size of a bowling ball in the attic.
It landed just inches away from a wall that laid against the couple’s son — but fortunately, he had just left home for university, they said.
![Jon and Renae LeClair said the "sonic boom" of the ice crashing through their Big Bear home just past 10:30 p.m. Aug. 8 was so startling that they thought they were being invaded by intruders.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-02-at-2.30.20-AM.png?w=1024)
![](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-02-at-2.30.00-AM.png?w=1024)
Nearly a month later, the source of the ice remains a mystery.
At first, Jon theorized it came from a meteorite, but figured the summer temperatures hovering around 80 degrees were too warm to sustain the falling ice.
He and his wife now believe the chunk descended from a passing plane after frozen moisture broke loose from the jets.
Flight Aware data shows that aircraft routinely fly over the LeClair home on their way to LAX.
![At first, Jon theorized it came from a meteorite, but figured the summer temperatures hovering around 80 degrees were too warm to sustain the falling ice.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-02-at-2.32.17-AM.png?w=1024)
![He and his wife now believe the chunk descended from a passing plane after frozen moisture broke loose from the jets.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-02-at-2.32.36-AM.png?w=1024)
The theory is not unfounded — just a week later, a chunk of ice estimated to weigh as much as 20 pounds smashed through a Massachusetts home.
In 2015, a slab of ice the size of a basketball plummeted through a Modesto, California home, more than 350 miles north of the LeClair residence.
The Savath family at the time compared the noise to a bomb exploding.
![The ice left a 24-by-24-inch hole in the roof of the California home last month.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-02-at-2.31.29-AM.png?w=1024)
![It landed just inches away from a wall that laid against the couple's son -- but fortunately, he had just left home for university, they said.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-02-at-2.30.10-AM.png?w=1024)
![The couple has since covered the hole with a tarp, as the source of the ice remains a mystery.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-02-at-2.31.45-AM.png?w=1024)
“This is going to kill someone eventually,” said Jon, adding that he isn’t sure what can be done to address the issue
“I have no clue. I can’t get a hold of the FAA. [The National Transportation Safety Board] says it’s not their territory. I filed a report with the sheriff’s department and they’re just scratching their heads.”