ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – An Albuquerque man is facing a federal charge after allegedly aiming a laser pointer at a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office helicopter and hitting the cockpit more than 12 times.
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Jorge Pinon Armendariz, 47, reportedly aimed a green laser at the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Metro 1 helicopter while it was assisting ground operations on Oct. 7, 2025. The laser struck the aircraft multiple times and was aimed into the pilot’s eyes several times, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.
The crew tracked the laser beam to a vehicle in a McDonald’s drive-thru and later to a nearby home. Deputies responded to the home and said Armendariz fled the scene.
He was later arrested and charged with aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft. He will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Armendariz faces up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine…