Manatee County man accused of shining laser pointer at sheriff’s office helicopter

BRADENTON, Fla. - Over the weekend, Manatee County deputies were working on an unrelated incident when they noticed a flash of light was pointing in the direction of the sheriff’s office helicopter. They said they found the source: 47-year-old Alejandro Bautista Wvalle.

On Saturday before 9 p.m., the aviation unit was assisting deputies on the ground when they noticed the green laser light.

The aviation unit guided the deputies on the ground to the area where the light was shining from. Deputies said the located Wvalle in the 300 block of 16th Street East pointing the laser light in the helicopter’s direction "multiple times."

Deputies said he admitted to using the laser light and told them he was "unaware that what he was doing was against the law."

Booking image for Alejandro Bautista Wvalle

Wvalle was arrested and faces the charge of pointing a laser device at an aircraft.