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Woman Who Sprayed Duane Reade With Lighter Fluid Bit Officers, Records Show

By Aidan Gardiner | July 11, 2017 10:48am | Updated on July 11, 2017 2:21pm

MANHATTAN — A woman who sprayed lighter fluid all over a Duane Reade in the Port Authority Bus Terminal Tuesday morning previously bit an officer who confronted her about holding up a line in a Bronx court, officials said.

Leslie Canales, 39, doused the pharmacy with the flammable fluid until Port Authority Police arrested her in the terminal at 625 Eighth Ave. about 8 a.m., a spokesman said.

The fluid didn't ignite and there were no reported injuries, the spokesman said.

Canales, of The Bronx, was previously arrested in October 2014 when she bit NYPD and court officers, prosecutors said.

Officer Anita Williams had ordered Canales to pass through a metal detector at the Bronx Criminal/Family Court House, but she refused to budge, prosecutors said.

When Williams confronted Canales, she bit the officer's left forearm, prosecutors said.

Williams and another officer, Edward Mendez, then tried to subdue her, but only managed to after Canales bit Mendez' left leg, prosecutors said.

Canales was taken to Lincoln Medical Center for evaluation, officials said. She was sitting in a chair when NYPD officer Noelia Degracia touched her arm, prompting the Canales to chomp down on Degracia's arm, prosecutors said.

All the bitten officers suffered lacerations, prosecutors said.

Canales was arrested for attempted assault, resisting arrest, harassment and menacing in the Bronx case, prosecutors said.

She was ordered to undergo a psychiatric exam in June and is due back in court on that case on August, records show.