Laser Strike On CHP Aircraft Leads To Orange County Arrest

WESTMINSTER, CA — A person suspected of aiming a laser beam at a California Highway Patrol helicopter in Orange County has been arrested, the CHP announced Tuesday.

The incident happened April 17 just after 9 p.m., while CHP Fullerton Air Unit 51 was flying near Interstate 5 and the 91 Freeway, according to an Instagram post from CHP Westminster.

Cameras on the aircraft captured what investigators thought to be multiple laser strikes from a person standing on a sidewalk in front of a Westminster home, where two children were playing nearby, police said.

Police switched the aircraft's camera into night-vision mode, which gave them a clearer view and allowed them to find an approximate address in the 8600 block of Carnation Drive.

Westminster police officers responded to the location and arrested the person on suspicion of willfully and maliciously discharging a laser at an occupied aircraft in motion, the CHP said.

"Repercussions include fines up to $2,000 and or imprisonment between 16 months to up to 3 years," the CHP added.

Pointing a laser at an aircraft is also a federal crime, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

"If you point a laser and interfere with the operation of an aircraft, that’s a felony," the FBI said in a previous warning. "The crime carries a maximum of 20 years in federal prison and a quarter of a million dollars fine. In addition, the FAA can impose a civil penalty of up to $11,000 for each violation."