An investigation into reports of a laser being pointed at commercial aircraft and helicopters in the West Los Angeles area led to the arrest of a man who is also believed to have been impersonating a firefighter, with authorities even seizing a fire truck from one of his properties, police said Thursday.
Steve Farzam, 46, was arrested Wednesday when Los Angeles Police Department investigators, along with federal and state authorities, searched multiple properties apparently owned by Farzam in the West Los Angeles area. He was being held without bail, according to jail records.
According to the LAPD, the investigation began earlier this year when detectives began receiving reports of commercial aircraft and helicopters being targeted by a laser — an illegal activity due to potential harm it can cause to pilot’s who could be blinded by the device.
The investigation eventually pointed to Farzam, who was charged Tuesday with a series of felonies — discharging a laser at occupied aircraft, assault with a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer or firefighter, impersonating a fire officer, trespassing, impersonating a public officer, carrying a loaded firearm in public, perjury and forgery. He was charged with 28 counts in all, according to court records.
Police said that during the searches of Farzam’s various properties, investigators seized items including two utility vehicles, police/fire light package equipment for vehicles, radios, first-responder identifications, a fire engine, ammunition, bogus documents relating to a fictitious fire department and other first-responder paraphernalia.
News reports from the scene showed the seized fire truck that was apparently found at a residence in the 100 block of Rockingham Avenue, just off Sunset Boulevard. The vehicle, which was towed to an impound lot, was allegedly registered to the fictitious Santa Muerte Fire Department.
The fictitious fire department name has come up before. In 2023, a man named Andrew De Boer was arrested in San Bernardino County for allegedly impersonating a policeman and attempting to arrest someone for a traffic violation. De Boer was dressed as an officer and had a “Santa Muerte Fire Department” badge in his possession at the time.
The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was among the agencies involved in the searches. An ATF spokeswoman referred all questions to the LAPD, as the bureau only assisted in the department’s investigation.
Farzam made news during the coronavirus pandemic as an executive of a company known as 911 COVID Testing, which operated large-scale virus-testing sites in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Brentwood and near Los Angeles International Airport.