NJ laser pointed at choppers was 1 of 20 around U.S. Wednesday

Wednesday night's incidents involving laser beams being pointed at news and police helicopters over New Jersey and New York City were among 20 across the country, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA in a statement said an incident involving the 7 ABC helicopter over Elizabeth and and blinding green beams being pointed at helicopters belonging to NBC 4 New York and the NYPD  were the the first of the evening.

Additional incidents were reported to the FAA from Dallas; Jamestown, NY; Oakland, Calif.; Covington and Danville, NY; Palm Springs; Salt Lake City; Los Angeles; Albuquerque; Detroit; Ontario, Calif; St. Petersburg, Fla.; Springfield, Ill.; San Juan and Sacramento.

No injuries were reported by pilots.

"Shining a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime that the U.S. vigorously pursues. Lasers distract pilots from their safety duties and can lead to temporary blindness during critical phases of flight, such as takeoff and landing. In some cases in the past, pilots have reported eye injuries that required medical treatment," the FAA said in a statement.

It didn't address whether the incidents were believed to be connected, or how, and said the matter was an ongoing investigation when asked by New Jersey 101.5. People living in New Jersey and New York were arrested in the local incidents.

It is a federal crime to aim a laser pointer at an aircraft that could result in a 5-year jail sentence and a $250,000 fine.

The ABC 7 helicopter was able to determine the origination of the laser and helped lead police to West Jersey Avenue in Elizabeth, where  Stiven Lopez-Bender, 26, was arrested by Elizabeth Police. He was charged with interference with transportation, utilizing a laser toward an aircraft. The NYPD arrested Osseio Silva, of Brooklyn for a similar incident over the Prospect Heights section of the city.

The FAA said there have been 5,352 reported laser incidents around the country as of Oct. 16, including 55 flights in or out of Newark, 65 from LaGuardia and 17 from JFK. It also said 11 planes were hit by laser beams the night of July 15 from around New Jersey.

FBI Special Agent Celeste Danzi of the FBI's Newark office told New Jersey 101.5  "we do not have any information that (the Elizabeth incident) was connected to anybody else."

Gov. Chris Christie (R) vetoed legislation in 2013 that would have banned the sale of laser pointers with more than one milliwatt of output power. New York Senator Chuck Schumer has proposed a federal ban on high powered lasers.