BOSTON – Two people were arrested Saturday night in Boston for what police are describing as a “dangerous drone operation.”
Robert Duffy, 42, of Charlestown, and Jeremy Folcik, 32, of Bridgewater, were arrested on Long Island in Boston Harbor.
Both men are charged with trespassing. Additional fines or charges could be added, Boston police said.
Boston drone arrests
according to boston policean officer saw an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) flying near Logan Airport. The officer was able to find the drone’s location, altitude, flight history and track the operator to Long Island.
Because the drones were near Logan Airport airspace, Boston police worked with Homeland Security, the Massachusetts State Police, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and air traffic control at Logan Airport as part of their investigation.
Three people were found inside the Long Island Health campus, which is no longer operational.
When police arrived, they say one of the suspects ran. Duffy and Folcik were arrested. Officers said they found a drone inside Duffy’s backpack. The third suspect is believed to have fled the area in a small boat.
Duffy and Folcik are scheduled to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court in the coming days.
Drones in Massachusetts
Boston police reminded the public that recreational drone operators must follow FAA guidelines. Drones cannot be flown over people or vehicles, and operators must follow airspace restrictions.
“Even a small drone hit by a jet plane going 200 miles per hour will exert thousands of pounds of force,” said airline pilot Patrick Smith. “That said, it’s unlikely that a small hobbyist drone could crash a plane, a large plane, but it’s possible. And you certainly have the potential for millions of dollars in damage.”
Drone sightings were reported for about 30 minutes Thursday night on Cape Cod. People reported seeing drones with flashing red, green and blue lights.
Harwich Police Chief Kevin Considine he spoke with WBZ-TV about how difficult it is for local departments to monitor drone sightings.
“They’re difficult to manage, and that’s why the first thing we did today was just present our report to our local partners in the federal government and the state police so they can start looking into it,” Considine said.
Dozens of other drone reports have come in from across Massachusetts, most recently from Marshfield, Natick and Tewksbury.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and state police are working alongside local and federal partners, and are ready to support federal authorities with airspace jurisdiction,” Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. .
New Jersey drones
mysterious drone sightings have been reported in the skies of New Jersey in recent weeks.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking for more help from the federal government.
Murphy told Biden that the ongoing sightings are raising more questions than answers, adding that people “deserve more concrete information.”