Riverside teen caught after shining green laser at aircraft for weeks

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Riverside teen caught after shining laser at aircraft
Riverside police used helicopter footage to pinpoint the location of someone who was pointing lasers at aircraft flying near Ramona High School.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- A Riverside teen got a big surprise when police came to arrest him - and brought along evidence of his crime, captured from the sky.

For weeks, police looked for the source of a laser that was hitting aircraft flying near Ramona High School.

Monday night a Riverside Police air unit finally caught the teen green-handed.

As the helicopter got hit by the laser, its camera located the exact address of the backyard.

The teen initially said he was flashing the light at raccoons, but the chopper's video showed he was alone.

Riverside police say they offered the teen a youth court program that can help him avoid a permanent criminal record.