Fla. man pointed laser at sheriff's helicopter, police say

LONGWOOD, Fla. - A 19-year-old Florida man was arrested for allegedly pointing a laser light at a sheriff's helicopter.

Trevor Ragno, of Longwood, was arrested Saturday on felony charges of pointing the light at a pilot and culpable negligence, according to CBS affiliate WKMG.

According to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, the flight crew on the sheriff's helicopter reported that a green laser light was being flashed through the cockpit around midnight Saturday.

The helicopter used infrared technology to determine where the laser was being shone from. Deputies were directed to a home, where Ragno was located outside, reports the station. The 19-year-old was arrested and taken to jail.

"Shining a light into an aircraft creates a glare on the windscreen and generates a temporary flash of blindness, similar to a camera flash," a spokesperson for Seminole County Sheriff's said.

The FBI and FAA were notified of the incident. The FAA is investigating and can impose civil penalties of up to $100,000, reports the station. The FBI could also reportedly file federal charges for pointing a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft.

Ragno posted a $1,100 bond Sunday morning and was released.