A 28-year-old man has been charged after allegedly flying a drone over Ohio Stadium during the Ohio State-Maryland football game Saturday.
As reported by CBS affiliate WBNS in Columbus, an arrest warrant was issued for the operator, Rigoberto Canaca Escoto, who is charged with unsafe operation of aircraft, prohibited acts, inducing panic and disorderly conduct.
According to Franklin County Municipal Court records, officers were advised of a drone flying over Ohio Stadium around 12:20 p.m. on Oct. 7. The drone was violating the temporary flight restriction mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration around the stadium. The FAA sets the restriction in a three-mile radius around stadiums for one hour before kickoff until one hour after games.
Court records indicate that the drone was observed traveling from the Lennox Town Center, a retail area featuring big box stores, before flying over Ohio Stadium.
The NCAA officiating crew stopped play and directed players to move to the sidelines. The game was paused momentarily before the drone returned to its original location.
Officers were able to locate Canaca Escoto, who was ordered to bring the drone down.
According to court records, Canaca Escoto stated that he recently purchased the drone from Best Buy and wanted to show his coworkers. When asked by detectives, the operator affirmed that he did not possess a TRUST certificate or basic aeronautical safety knowledge.
Canaca Escoto also stated during the interview that he lost control of the drone for approximately three minutes while over the crowded stadium, WBNS reported.
Columbus NBC affiliate WCMH outlined the charges in greater detail:
- Unsafe operation of aircraft in a careless or reckless manner
- Two counts of aircraft operation without a license
- Inducing panic by committing an offense with reckless disregard
- Disorderly conduct in a physically offensive condition
WCMH also identified Canaca Escoto as being from Lawrenceville, Ga. He told authorities he wanted to “see how far he could fly the drone.” While flying toward Ohio Stadium, Canaca Escoto told the detective he lost sight of it.
“Rigoberto stated that, while over the crowded stadium, he lost control of the aircraft for a period of approximately three minutes, creating an additional risk of physical harm to all attendees,” a detective wrote in the criminal complaint, as reported by WCMH.
At an arraignment hearing Monday, Canaca Escoto pleaded not guilty to the charges and also filed an indigent application, meaning he requested a public defender to represent him in court. The judge ordered him to stay away from the incident location as a condition of his bond.
