A Grand Rapids man is accused of shining a laser beam at a Michigan State Police helicopter and then trying to pass the blame on to his 12-year-old son last month.
Fredy Omar Rocha-Reyes is being prosecuted under a state statute titled Beam of Light or Energy Aimed at Plane or Train, WOODTV reports.
The law, passed in 2017, made it a felony to intentionally aim a beam of light at an aircraft or moving train. It’s punishable by up to five years in prison.
Rocha-Reyes, 44, was arraigned on the charge in late July. During a probable cause conference Tuesday in Grand Rapids District Court, he waived his preliminary exam, sending the case to Kent County Circuit Court.
The incident happened July 19 near the Grand Rapids-Wyoming city line.
During the investigation, Rocha-Reyes and his wife “tried blaming their 12-year-old son,” court records show.
