Laser pointer complaints lead to police–FBI search

A Costa Mesa police helicopter was called to find a person commercial airline pilots had complained was flashing a laser into their cockpit during landing, police said Thursday.

At about 10:40 p.m. Wednesday the Costa Mesa police helicopter crew spotted where the laser was coming from in the city of Orange, Sgt. Bryan Glass said. Officers relayed the information to Orange police, but they were unable to locate anyone that night.

Thursday morning Orange police searched parolee Dana Welch’s home in the area that Costa Mesa police identified and found two laser devices, Orange police Sgt. Dan Adams said.

Because the complaint stemmed from three commercial airliners, the FBI and the Joint Terrorist Task Force participated in the investigation. Welch faces federal charges related to pointing lasers at commercial jets, Adams said.

— Joseph Serna