FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A man from Colorado was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly pointed a laser pointer at a Fresno County Sheriff's helicopter, the U.S. Department of Justice said. The DOJ says 66-year-old Martin Joseph Avila of Longmont, Colorado, aimed the beam of the laser at the sheriff's helicopter, named Eagle 1, between May 28 and 29 in 2024. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), laser exposure can result in visual impairment and, therefore, poses a significant hazard to aircraft operations. In 2024, the DOJ says the FAA received 12,840 reports of laser strikes from pilots. Avila was arrested in Colorado on Wednesday and was ordered to appear in federal court in Fresno on April 16, according to the DOJ. ...read more read less