Man booked in Fresno for aiming laser at helicopter, police say

One man was arrested Friday in Fresno after police said he aimed a laser at a Fresno Police Skywatch helicopter.

The helicopter was flying in the area of Jensen and Marks avenues when it was hit by a green laser coming from a house near Hughes and California avenues.

Police said the aircrew used the infrared camera to follow the suspect’s movements.

Fresno police ground units arrived and the aircrew directed them to the suspect, later identified as Ali Yang, 32, police said.

Yang was in possession of the green Class 3 laser and admitted to purposely shining it at the helicopter, police said.

He was booked into the Fresno County Jail for shining a laser at an aircraft.

In November 2014, Andrew Zarate, 20, of Fresno, was sentenced to one year in federal prison for aiming a laser pointer at a California Highway Patrol airplane.

David Walter Fee, 22, of Fresno, was also sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2014 for aiming a laser pointer at a CHP airplane.

This story was originally published September 26, 2015 at 2:49 PM with the headline "Man booked in Fresno for aiming laser at helicopter, police say."