San Bernardino Man Arrested for Pointing a Laser at a Sheriff's Helicopter

San Bernardino Man Arrested for Pointing a Laser at a Sheriff’s Helicopter

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SAN BERNARDINO – A 27-year-old San Bernardino man was arrested after pointing a laser at the Sheriff’s helicopter (40 King) on Wednesday.

Authorities said that at around 1:00 a.m. 40 King was en route to an Apple Valley call when the helicopter was struck with a purple laser several times in the area of Del Rosa and Pacific Avenues in the City of San Bernardino. Deputies notified the San Bernardino Police of the incident and requested assistance in locating the suspect(s). In order to locate the suspect(s), deputies used a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera.

The helicopter was struck several more times before deputies located two subjects standing in the driveway of a home in the 25000 block of Anson Street in the City of San Bernardino. As they continued to watch the two subjects on the FLIR camera, they noticed one of the subjects pointed his arm at the helicopter. At the same time, the helicopter was struck by the laser. San Bernardino Police responded to the location and made contact with the two subjects. Jeffrey Diaz, 27, was determined to have a laser on his person. Officers learned that Diaz did not only discharge the laser at the helicopter several times that night but also did through the previous week.

Diaz was booked into the Central Detention Center. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department would like to remind the public that pointing/discharging any type of laser at an aircraft in operation, while in motion or in flight, could severely damage the pilot’s ability to control the aircraft. It is also a felony in the State of California and a Federal offense.