A west suburban Berkeley man was accused of flashing a laser pointer at airplanes leaving O’Hare and Midway airports, according to Illinois state police.
Saul Martinez Castanon, 36, was charged with two counts of disorderly conduct, according to state police.
State police air patrols, a spotter and pilot, were on duty about 9:45 p.m. Thursday when they reported seeing a laser pointer aiming from the ground, officials said.
Troopers used the aircraft’s camera and identified a residential yard in the 1200 block of Sunnyside Drive in Berkeley as the likely location of the laser, state police said.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported several aircraft departing from O’Hare and Midway, including commercial aircraft carrying hundreds of passengers, having the same issue with a laser from a similar location on the ground, officials said.
Troopers were alerted and went to the location where they arrested Martinez Castanon, authorities said.
The laser pointers have been a national issue for aviators for several years, officials said. When pointed into an aircraft cockpit, the light can temporarily blind pilots as they navigate busy airspace during takeoffs and landings.
“Targeting aircraft with a laser pointer creates a safety threat that can put the lives of hundreds of passengers at risk,” Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly said.
