Woman who was sleeping in NJ park charged with shooting at police

A woman who had been sleeping at a state park tried to shoot police after leading them on a high-speed chase on Route 287 on Wednesday morning, officials said.

Police first found Lakisha Maldonado, 30, of Leeds, Alabama, inside her Ford Explorer in a parking lot at Ringwood State Park in Ringwood around 5:30 a.m.

When police attempted to question her, she sped away, injuring a Ringwood police officer, State Police said.

State Police spokesman Lawrence Peele said she drove south on Skyline Drive to northbound Route 287 in Oakland.

Maldonado pulled over to the shoulder near Route 17 in Mahwah when her car broke down. Peele said that as a Ridgewood police officer approached the SUV, Maldonado fired three rounds from a handgun. None of the officers were shot.

She was arrested and charged in Bergen County with attempted murder, eluding, resisting arrest, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose. She was being held Wednesday evening at the Bergen County jail awaiting a detention hearing.

Maldonado faces additional charges in Passaic County, according to Peele.

Route 287 northbound was closed between Route 208 in Oakland and Route 17 for several hours during Wednesday morning's commute.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ