HOMER - According to the New York State Police on Sunday, March 2, at approximately 2:37 p.m., investigators arrested Maxine A. Malone, 60 of Homer, on a warrant for unlawfully possessing a noxious material, a misdemeanor. The arrest warrant was signed by a judge which stemmed from an incident that occurred in February.

Police reported that on February 11, troopers were dispatched to a dispute on Mountain View Drive in Homer. An investigation determined that Malone and another neighbor were in a verbal dispute when Malone took a can of bear spray out of her vehicle’s glove compartment, spraying the neighbor and the neighbor’s dog. Both the victim and the dog were checked out by members from TLC. 

In New York State it is legal to carry pepper spray for self-defense, but the canister must be no larger than .75 ounces and the concentration of the active chemical content (capsaicinoids) cannot be more than .7%.  An investigation determined that Malone used a can that was 7.9 ounces and contained 2.0% capsaicinoids.   

Malone was transported to the Cortland County Correctional Facility for centralized arraignment.

- Information from the NY State Police