Arrest made in drone flights over wildfire
A 54.yearold Prescott Valley man suspected of flying a drone that ground-ed Goodwin Fire firefighting efforts last week has been arrested. The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office reported Saturday that Gene Alan Car-penter was arrested on charges of en-dangerment and unlawful operation of an unmanned aircraft. Carpenter is accused of endangering 14 aircraft and air crews as well at ground fire crews with a "substantial risk of Maniacal death or physical Una-ry' by flying n drone in the fires air-spaoe. The Arizona Legislature and Got Doug Ducey last year passed a law mak-ing it illegal fora divine to interfere with emergency or law-enforcement efforts. There are also federal laws regulating drone flights. The fire area had been designated a no• fly ;one for non-firefighting aircraft, Yavapai County Sheriffl Office spokes-man Dwight WE velyn said. A witness first reported a man flying a drone lathe no-fly zone on June 24, tell-ing officials the man was operating the drone while standing near a white van dose to the Mount Union Lookout lbwen D'Evelyn said. U.S. Forest Service personnel sta-tioned inside the tower also reported the incident. Deputies developed leads identifying Carpenter ae the suspect based on prior contacts. IrKvelyn said. The reports of a man ft ing a drone in the fire area continued t hout the week. That lbesday, a witness reported that a man matching Carpenter's de-scription was standing next to a white van with a drone in the back on Iron King Mine Road, IT Evelyn said A drone was also spotted on Thursday in the Samna airspace as 14 firefighting aircraft including hve he-licopters. three large air tankers, and two heavy air tankers. An air attack pilot told Sheriffs Office detec-tives that he spotted the Came/rter drone at his altitude and that when he tried to see where it was coming from, the drone be-gan circling his plane, D'Evelyn said The incident prompted officials to amend all firefighting aircraft and sub. sequently caused gmundcmcs to disen• gage from the fire because they wore left unprotected without the assistance of firefighting aircraft. D'Evelyn said. Aircraft were grounded for nearly an hour. D'Evelyn said. Carpenter was arrested Friday after officials used witness information. drone descriptions and photos obtained from Carpenter's wehsite showing drone views of the Goodwin Fire to implicate him in the incidents. D'Evelyn An offduty Sheriff's Office deputy spotted Carpenter's van in Prescott on Iliday. coordinating the response of deputies to slop Carpenter and seize the drone inside his vehicle. D'Evelyn said Detectives are meeting with federal official con Monday to discuss additional shames based on federal statutes re-garding temporary night restrictions.