Laser Pointer Incident Leads to Charges for Southington Man

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A Southington man has been charged for an incident with a laser pointer, police said.

On Saturday, Robert Schmaling Jr., 49, of the Plantsville section of Southington, was charged with second-degree breach of peace, second-degree threatening and the illegal use of a laser pointer.

The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred at a local apartment complex in which he became involved in a verbal dispute with a group of juveniles that he believed did not belong on the property, police said.

During the dispute, Schmaling allegedly directed a laser pointer at the juveniles and "represented it as if he had a firearm," police said.

He was was released on a $5,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Bristol Superior Court on July 23, police said.

Photo Credit: SPD