Teen accused of shining laser at 2 Sheriff helicopters
A 19-year-old Longwood man was arrested over the weekend for shining a laser light several times at two Seminole County Sheriff's Office helicopters, deputies said.
Trevor Ragno, 19, is charged with pointing a laser light at a pilot, a felony, and two counts of culpable negligence.
Officials said it was shortly before midnight when Alert 2 was on patrol near Interstate 4 and E.E. Williamson Road and reported that a green laser light was flashing through the cockpit. The aircraft was flying at 800 feet at the time of the incident.
"The higher the beam goes, the larger and more intense the beam gets. It can flash blind, and it can cause permanent damage," said Chief Pilot Steve Farris. "It's a similar feeling to looking right into the flash of a camera with your eyes wide open, but it can actually do damage."
Another helicopter responded to the area and used an infrared camera to direct deputies on the ground to a home in the 1900 block of Deer View Place. Ragno was seen on the pool deck wearing swim trunks, no shirt or shoes and shining the green light at them, deputies said.
Deputies located three people outside the home, asked them who was shining the laser and all identified Ragno as the suspect, an arrest report said. Ragno was located outside and taken into custody. "His friends were actually telling him to stop and were leaving because he continued to do it," said Farris.
Ragno told authorities he did not realize shining the laser at an aircraft was so serious. The green laser was found in Ragno's closet, according to deputies. According to deputies, shining a light into an aircraft creates a glare on the windscreen and can generate temporary blindness. Pilots can become disoriented or experience blurred vision.
The Federal Aviation Administration has the ability to impose civil penalties of up to $10,000 and the FBI could file federal charges for pointing a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft.
Seminole County Sheriff Footage
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