A man has denied spraying his mother with bear spray.

In Flathead District Court last week, Joshua James Gomez, 30, pleaded not guilty to one felony count of assault with a weapon. A trial has been set for May 31.

Gomez was charged after the Sheriff’s Office responded to a report that someone had been sprayed at a home on Marion Pines Drive in Marion on March 4.

According to court documents, Gomez’s mother told responding deputies that her son had sprayed her in the face with pepper spray and caused her to temporarily go blind.

The deputy noted that the woman struggled to breathe as she recounted the events.

Gomez allegedly admitted the crime. He has been released from custody.

Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or [email protected].