Los Angeles Police use a rare high-flying sting to catch the people who were pointing lasers at their helicopters. They arrested two suspects and police think they may have been targeting jetliners too.
Two men could face federal and state charges after they were arrested Monday morning for allegedly pointing lasers at law enforcement and fire department helicopters as well as aircraft flying in to LAX, a Los Angeles police sergeant said.
A third man was also arrested at the same location on an outstanding warrant unrelated to the laser pointing, LAPD Sgt. John Campos, a watch commander at the Newton Station said.
The LAPD ran a high-flying sting to pinpoint the location of their two attackers.
Officers wearing new protective glasses flew overhead to draw the suspects' laser shots. Meanwhile, Newton Station officers on the ground stood ready to close in on their location, said Sgt. Mel Stevenson in the LAPD Air Support Division.
LAPD officers arrested two unidentified men, one 20, the other 22, and recovered two laser devices at a home in the 2900 block of Paloma Street in the USC area about 3 a.m. Monday, Stevenson said.
The two suspects face multiple charges for pointing lasers at the police helicopter twice this morning and also ten days ago, Stevenson added.
"We have numerous reports of laser incidents from that location,'' Stevenson said. "We're going to notify the F.B.I. because they're possibly involved with airliners landing at LAX.''
