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US: Man indicted for interfering with Southwest flight

A 29-year-old man from Roseville, CA was arrested and indicted for shining a green laser at a Southwest Airlines flight and at a police helicopter looking for the source of the Southwest incident. The incident occurred on March 16 2009. On April 2, he was indicted by a grand jury.

The acting U.S. Attorney, Larry Brown, stated in a press release “Federal authorities have recognized lasing of aircraft as an increasingly serious problem and have formed a working group to investigate and prosecute offenders. This is because the focused beams of a laser remain powerful even at a long distance and can expose pilots to radiation [light] levels above those considered to be flight safe. Brief exposure to even a relatively low-powered laser beam can cause discomfort and temporary visual impairments, such as glare, flash blind, and afterimages."

This incident also was reported in local news reports such as the Sacramento Bee and ABC News10.

This made the FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the week ending April 3, 2009. From the FBI report:

In response to a green laser incident on 03/16/09, on 04/02/09, BALLTAZAR O. VALLADARES was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury in the Eastern District of California, Sacramento, on two counts of Title 18, USC Section 32 (a)(5) and 32(a)(8), Interference with the Safe Operation of an Aircraft.

The indictment stated that on March 16, 2009, VALLADARES did willfully interfere with and attempt to interfere with and disable, with reckless disregard for the safety of human life, at least one person engaged in the authorized operation of Southwest Airlines Flight 1010, a Boeing 737 en-route from Las Vegas, Nevada to Sacramento, CA. The aircraft had one hundred and thirty seven passengers aboard, and which aircraft was in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, as defined under Title 49, USC, Section 46501 (2), and was a civil aircraft used, operated and employed in interstate commerce.

The Grand Jury further charged that on the same date, VALLADARES did willfully interfere with and attempt to interfere with and disable, with reckless disregard for the safety of human life, at least one person engaged in the authorized operation of Sacramento Sheriff's Dept. Unit Star 5.