Mon, Jan 03, 2005
Lawyer: Client Was In Wrong Place At Wrong Time
David Banach and his daughter were
simply "in the wrong place at the wrong time." So says Banach's
lawyer, after the Lake Parsippany, NJ, man was questioned about
flashing a laser at low-flying aircraft.
As ANN has reported, at least seven air crews
have been "lit up" by lasers from Colorado to New Jersey since
Christmas. Whatever ill intent may have been on the
minds of some of those wielding lasers, attorney Gina Mendola
Longarzo says it wasn't on the mind of her client. Longarzo was
quoted in the Morris County, NJ, Daily Record.
"At one moment he was in the backyard playing with his
daughter," said Longarzo, "and 10 minutes later 12 police cars
descended and he was whisked away by authorities and interrogated
until 4 a.m." She said Banach was simply showing his daughter how
to use the laser pointer he'd given her for Christmas.
It was one of several leads the FBI and Department of Homeland
Security have been following since the rash of laser lightings
began more than a week ago.
"It is an ongoing investigation," FBI Special Agent Steve Kodak
told the Daily Record. "Nobody is in custody and there have been no
arrests."
Neighbors like Jay Patel said they think Banach is an unlikely
terror candidate. "I don't think he was doing it purposely," he
said, pointing out that Banach often buys his kids gee-whiz toys --
nothing sinister, he said.
But that may not be the case in other instances of aircraft
being lit up by lasers. One source told the Associated Press that
federal agents are now investigating similar cases in Colorado,
Cleveland, Washington, Texas and Oregon.
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