DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A runaway foster child accused of breaking into a house in Enterprise, grabbing weapons and opening fire on deputies in 2021 was sentenced to 20 years in prison after taking a plea deal Friday.

What You Need To Know

  • Nicole Jackson-Maldonado, 15, pleaded no contest to charges including attempted first-degree murder Friday

  • She was sentenced to 20 years in prison, followed by 40 years of probation

  • She had been facing charges connected to a 2021 home burglary where she opened fire on responding deputies

Nicole Jackson-Maldonado, 15, was charged as an adult and pleaded no contest to a slew of charges, including attempted first-degree murder. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by 40 years of probation.

On June 1, 2021, Jackson-Maldonado attacked a worker at a children’s home in Enterprise where she was living, fled with another juvenile and later broke into a home. Once there, the two armed themselves with the owners’ guns and vandalized the premises, according to the State Attorney’s Office.

Bodycam video from responding deputies showed gunfire coming from the home. Jackson-Maldonado eventually left the house and fired a shotgun at law enforcement while approaching them and deputies were forced to return fire, according to the State Attorney’s Office.

In a written statement posted on social media Friday, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood praised the deputies who responded to the scene that night: “They never hesitated — they rushed in and rendered aid to her in seconds, giving her a second chance at life.”