Oxnard man arrested for flashing laser at helicopter

An Oxnard man was arrested after authorities say he flashed a laser at a sheriff’s helicopter on Friday.

According to a press release from Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, a sheriff’s helicopter was assisting Camarillo patrol deputies searching for a carjacking suspect in the area of East Pleasant Valley Road and Laguna Road near Oxnard.

While searching for the suspect the helicopter experienced multiple laser strikes in the span of about 20 minutes.

Authorities determined that the laser strikes were coming from the 2100 block of Isabella Street and Oxnard police were notified.

Officers located Phillip Steven Adame at the scene with evidence connecting him to the laser strikes.

Adame was arrested and booked into the Ventura County Jail and faces a number of charges including one felony count of discharging a laser at an aircraft, one count of being in possession of a controlled substance and one count of possessing drug paraphernalia.

Adame’s bail was set at $10,000.

Ventura County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the public to never point a laser at any aircraft. Pilots are particularly vulnerable to laser lights when conducting low-level flight operations at night. Pointing a laser at an aircraft is dangerous and may result in arrest.