The car was struck by multiple rounds of gunfire but no one was hurt.
January 31, 2020, 9:01 PM
5 min read
A 30-year-old woman is in custody after her erratic driving prompted police to pursue her and fire shots near President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, officials said.
The incident started shortly before noon Friday, several miles away from the Palm Beach, Florida, resort, when police were called to a report of a woman dancing on top of a car, a law enforcement source told ABC News.
When an officer arrived, the woman fled in a car, and police followed her toward Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a news conference Monday.
Forensic technicians work on the vehicle authorities say officers fired shots at, that breached security at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Jan. 31, 2020, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Forensic technicians work on the vehicle authorities say officers fired shots at, that breached security at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Jan. 31, 2020, in West Palm Beach, Fla.Terry Renna/AP
The suspect, identified as Hannah Roemhild, fled the officer and blew through two checkpoints, but did not enter Mar-a-Lago, Bradshaw said.
She was driving on the wrong side of the road at 70-plus miles per hour, the sheriff said.
"It was unknown at that point in time due to her erratic driving how many lives she was gonna put in danger," Bradshaw said.
Authorities opened fire at the car as she kept fleeing, Bradshaw said.
A vehicle from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's department sits on a road near the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., Jan. 31, 2020, after reports of an incident.
A vehicle from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's department sits on a road near the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., Jan. 31, 2020, after reports of an incident.WPEC
Officers followed the driver to a motel where she jumped out and tried to flee, but a trooper tackled her and took her into custody, officials said.
"This is not a terrorist thing," the sheriff said, explaining she was "impaired somehow" and was driving recklessly, endangering the public and law enforcement.
The car was struck by multiple rounds of gunfire but no one was hurt, Bradshaw said.
No Secret Service protectees were in Palm Beach County at the time of the incident, Secret Service officials said.
File photo of President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort seen on Nov. 1, 2019 in Palm Beach, Fla.
File photo of President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort seen on Nov. 1, 2019 in Palm Beach, Fla.Joe Raedle/Getty Images
A second woman was also found to be in the car but was not taken into custody, Bradshaw said.
