*An 81-year-old Ocala, Florida, woman, Ada Anderson, faces three counts of second-degree felony battery after allegedly attacking her neighbor’s children with pepper spray and hurling racial slurs.
As PEOPLE reports, the incident occurred on May 30, when April Morant and her daughters, Black girls ages 6 and 3, were blowing bubbles in their driveway. According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office affidavit, Anderson, who is white, approached the fence separating their properties and sprayed bear mace at the family while yelling “stupid n—–s.”
Morant reported ongoing racial harassment from Anderson since moving to the neighborhood in November. “She tells us every day, like, an everyday occurrence, every day since we’ve been here, we don’t belong here and we are monkeys,” Morant told ClickOrlando.
The 6-year-old victim described the spray as causing her nose to hurt. Deputies noted an orange-brown liquid on the fence and grass, identified as pepper spray, which also irritated the family’s noses, throats, and lungs. Morant told authorities Anderson had repeatedly used racial slurs against her family.
Anderson admitted to using the spray, claiming the children were yelling at her, but insisted it didn’t reach them due to the 40-foot distance from her porch. However, evidence at the scene contradicted her account. The charges are elevated to second-degree felonies due to the alleged racial motivation behind the attack.
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An 81-year-old white woman in Ocala (FL) allegedly pepper-sprayed and hurled racial slurs at two Black children — ages 3 and 6 — allegedly over the girls playing with bubbles. No child should be traumatized in their own yard. pic.twitter.com/dvUu1SvAfx
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) June 5, 2025
Anderson was arrested and is scheduled to appear in court on July 1. The incident has sparked outrage, highlighting issues of racial hostility in the community. A longtime neighbor, Gary Weber, supported Anderson, stating, “She takes care of her own business,” and confirmed to News 6 that he was fine with her use of pepper spray.
Following her arrest, Anderson was booked into Marion County jail and released on Sunday night after posting bond, per online records. Morant secured a restraining order against the woman as she remains fearful for her family’s safety.
Speaking to News 6, she expressed frustration over the charges. “I felt like she should have been charged with a hate crime or charge against kids. Like, because, you know, you don’t do nothing like that and I don’t trust nothing she does.”
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