BLOOMFIELD — When officers stopped the school bus near the Bloomfield municipal complex this afternoon, they thought they were pulling over a careless driver who had just missed hitting another car.

But when they confronted the 62-year-old driver, what they found was "truly frightening," Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said.

Elizabeth Anaya, on her way to pick up a group of developmentally disabled children at the Sawlette Learning Center in Montclair, had a half-full can of Coors Light beer on the seat between her legs and an empty bottle of Bacardi rum in her jacket pocket, Fontoura said.

"It was most fortunate that our officers crossed paths with this individual," Fontoura said. "While the driver was the only person on the bus at the time of her arrest, she was on her way to pick up children who suffer from autism.

"The potential consequences of these children being on her bus are truly frightening," he said.

Anaya, of Jersey City, was charged with drunken driving and several traffic offenses. She was released from custody last night, Fontoura said.

"These are highly disturbing allegations," said acting state Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf.

The incident began at around 2:45 p.m. when Anaya, driving a yellow school bus registered to Hudson County Transport, ran a red light at Bloomfield Avenue near the municipal complex and almost struck another car, Fontoura said.

Sheriff’s officers immediately stopped the bus and when they approached it, they detected a "strong odor of alcohol" before finding the empty liquor bottle and recently-opened can of beer, Fontoura said in a statement.

Anaya’s blood-alcohol content was nearly twice the legal limit of .08, the sheriff said.

Reached by phone, an employee at Hudson County Transport said the owner was unavailable tonight and hung up before answering any questions.

All school bus drivers in New Jersey who transport public school children must undergo rigorous background checks and reviews of their driving records before they are hired, said Frank Belluscio, spokesman for the New Jersey School Board’s Association.

Anaya’s driving record could not be obtained tonight and it was not immediately known how long she has driven for Hudson County Transport. She does not have a criminal record, according to the state Department of Corrections.

Fontoura said that when Anaya was taken into custody, the bus company was notified, and another vehicle was sent to pick up the students from Sawtelle Learning Center, a private school for public school children and young adults with autism or developmental disabilities.

Leisa Tomchek, the school principal, could not be reached for comment.

Students between the ages of 5 and 21 attend the school and take classes in speech and language development, socialization, play skills, self help, motor skills and academics, according to the state Department of Education.

Districts that cannot meet students’ educational needs pay millions each year to enroll and bus special needs students to programs like Sawtelle from across the state.

By James Queally, and Jessica Calefati /The Star-Ledger

Mike Frassinell contributed to this story

