An Alabaster man is behind bars, accused of using pepper spray on a 79-year-old woman during an altercation.

Carson Roberts, 21, is charged with elder abuse and neglect and unlawful use of pepper spray. The alleged incident happened on May 11, and Roberts was taken into custody by Alabaster police on May 20, court records show.

Details of the altercation have not been made public, but police said they responded to the undisclosed location on a report of an elderly female who had been attacked.

The victim was taken to the hospital. According to investigators, Roberts and the victim know each other.

Under Alabama law, elder abuse and neglect is defined as the intentional or reckless infliction of emotional or mental anguish or the use of a physical or chemical restraint, medication, or isolation as punishment or as a substitute for treatment or care of any person over the age of 60.

“A person commits the crime of elder abuse and neglect in the first degree if he or she intentionally abuses or neglects any elderly person, and the abuse or neglect causes serious physical injury to the elderly person,’’ the law reads.

It is a Class A felony punishable by a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Unlawful use of pepper spray is defined by law as the use of defense spray including, but not limited to, pepper spray, foam and any other self-defense chemical spray against another person in the commission of a crime or against a law enforcement officer while the law enforcement officer is performing his or her official duties.

That crime is a Class C felony with a punishment of up to 10 years in prison.

Roberts remains in the Shelby County Jail on bonds totaling $135,000.