On Monday, July 3, 2023, at 12:19 a.m., Tampa PD helicopter pilots advised that they were hit twice with a green laser from an apartment complex off Busch Boulevard and 56th Street.
With assistance from aviation, Temple Terrace and Tampa PD officers were able to identify the apartment from which the laser originated. The laser was located inside the apartment and 26-year-old Juan Lozada-Zamorano was taken into custody and transported to Orient Road Jail.
Lozada-Zamorano was charged with one count of Misuse of Laser Lighting Device.
The helicopter pilots involved did not sustain injuries from the laser.
Per Florida State Statute, it is a third-degree felony for any person who knowingly and willfully shines, points, or focuses the beam of a laser lighting device on an individual operating a motor vehicle, vessel, or aircraft.