Man Arrested for Shining Laser at Sheriff’s Helicopter

On August 2, 2025, at around 2:00 a.m., the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Aviation Unit was conducting a security check in the area of Southwest 154th Lane Road and Southwest 58th Terrace. During the check, the crew noticed a green laser beam that was repeatedly striking the aircraft. Master Sergeant John Rawls’ vision was obstructed by the laser beam as he was piloting AIR-1.

Fortunately, Corporal Tim Marton was able to use AIR-1’s FLIR camera to locate the suspect, 41-year-old Adam Santiago-Lugo, standing in his driveway with binoculars and a laser pointer. The aviation crew directed deputies on the ground to Santiago-Lugo’s location, all while he continued to strike AIR-1 with the laser beam.

Corporal Zezuski made contact with Santiago-Lugo to place him under arrest for the felony offense. Initially, he refused to comply with commands and pulled away, but he was secured without incident. When questioned about the reason for pointing the laser beam at our helicopter, Santiago-Lugo advised that he was bored and was “just being silly”.

Corporal Zezuski collected the laser pointer, a pair of binoculars, and a flashlight as evidence. Santiago-Lugo was arrested for Pointing a Laser Light at a Pilot and Resisting Arrest without Violence and transported to the Marion County Jail.