81-year-old woman accused of spraying bear mace at Ocala mom and children during playtime dispute

ContributedAda Anderson, 81, is shown in a booking photo after her arrest on a felony battery charge in Marion County, Fla., on May 30, 2025. Marion County Sheriff's Office

MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – A Marion County woman was arrested last week after allegedly spraying bear mace at a mother and her two young children while they were playing in their driveway.

According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), deputies Kenny and Christensen responded to a home on Pine Court Drive on May 30 following a disturbance report.

April Morant told deputies she and her daughters, 6-year-old Kreylyn Morant and 3-year-old Reign Reason, were playing with soap bubble toys in their driveway when their neighbor, identified as 81-year-old Ada Anderson, approached the fence separating the properties and sprayed them with bear mace. Morant said she and her children were physically affected by the spray and that Anderson also yelled a racial slur during the incident.

Deputies observed bubble toys in the driveway and reviewed a video provided by Morant that they say showed Anderson holding what appeared to be the canister used in the incident. Morant also shared a second video from earlier in the day, which she said documented prior use of racial slurs by Anderson.

Anderson was arrested on a felony battery charge and transported to the Marion County Jail.