A 16-year-old was arrested Thursday evening for pointing a laser at a Fresno Police Department helicopter, authorities said.

Shortly before 6:30 p.m., the department’s Air Support Crew was assisting officers on a traffic stop near Fruit Avenue and Cesar Chavez Boulevard when they noticed a red laser beam tracking the helicopter and illuminating the cockpit.

The crew traced the laser to a nearby neighborhood and alerted patrol officers, who located and arrested the juvenile.

Officers recovered the laser, and the teen was booked at the Fresno County Juvenile Justice Center.

Police reminded the public that shining a laser at an aircraft is a violation of federal and state law and can create a serious safety hazard for both those in the air and on the ground.

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