Campbell man accused of shining lasers at aircraft

A 39-year-old Campbell man who allegedly shined a green laser at police helicopters and other aircraft repeatedly over the past three years has been arrested, the Santa Clara sheriff's office said today.

Michael Weeker was arrested at his home Monday night shortly after he shined the laser at a sheriff's helicopter, Sgt. Don Morrissey said. He was charged with 10 counts of shining laser at an aircraft and faces a maximum of eight years in prison if convicted.

Pilots in the South Bay have reported periodic laser shinings since 2005, authorities said. Such shinings can cause temporary blindness and long-term eye damage.

The sheriff's office worked with San Jose police to pinpoint the origin of the laser beams and concluded they came from a shopping center not far from Weeker's home.

On Monday evening, a sheriff's helicopter was struck by a laser. Officers on the ground, alerted by the pilot, tracked Weeker to his home and made the arrest, Morrissey said.

The motive for the optical assaults was unclear. Morrissey said the laser was a commercially available device typically used by astronomers to point out stars.