LOS ANGELES – Santa Ana’s Eric Jayson Suarez, 47, has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of deliberately aiming a laser pointer beam at an Orange County Sheriff’s Department helicopter. The incident occurred on April 13, 2020, when the crew was blinded by the laser for several critical seconds.
According to his plea agreement, Suarez intentionally pointed a high-intensity green laser beam from his parked car 20 blocks away at the cockpit of the helicopter flying above Santa Ana’s Bristol and First streets. The laser attack not only blinded the pilot and tactical flight officer but also endangered their ability to navigate safely, posing risks to all involved.
Law enforcement quickly located Suarez and apprehended him after he discarded his laser pointer out the window. They recovered the device 50 feet from where they stopped him. Suarez has a prior conviction for the same offense in February 2015, and law enforcement had previously warned him about the dangers of such an action.
Scheduled for March 7, 2022, Suarez faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. The FBI, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, and Santa Ana Police Department conducted the investigation, with Assistant United States Attorney Varun Behl leading the prosecution.
United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson will preside over the sentencing hearing, ensuring justice for this reckless act that threatened the lives of flight crew members, passengers, other aircraft, and ground individuals.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Public Corruption|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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