Drone Folk Hero
Last updated 9/3/2015 at 2:58pm
Carlsbad electrical engineer, Augustine Lehecka, became an un-likely folk hero in the war against drones earlier this month after tossing a T-shirt over an uninvited drone seen hovering over his party held at Moonlight Beach.
Lehecka was arrested on felony vandalism charges until they were dropped after having spent eight hours behind bars. The arrest outraged community members and drone-regulatory advocates, prompting discussions as to whether Encinitas' parks and beaches should become no-flight zones for low-flying, remote-controlled aircraft.
Encinitas resident John Herron, experienced a similar possible privacy violation recalling how a noisy, low-flying drone terrified his 3-1/2-year-old son at the city's tiny Mildred MacPherson Park just a few days prior to the Moonlight Beach incident.
The City Council has directed the city attorney to take action on the drone issue, with Encinitas becoming the second North County city in a week to discuss drone regulation.
