February 13, 2016
A South Jersey man has admitted to shooting down his neighbor's remote controlled drone, prosecutors say.
Authorities announced Friday that Russell Percenti, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of criminal mischief for the incident that occurred in September 2014.
According to the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office, Percenti's neighbor was flying the drone over his home, which was under construction, and taking pictures of the property.
His neighbor said he heard multiple gun shots and lost control of the device. The neighbor alerted authorities and Percenti's firearm was seized.
Prosecutors say Percenti admitted to using a shotgun to take the aircraft out of the sky, as well as incurring a monetary loss of $500.
Despite such a crime possibly carrying a sentence of up to 18 months in prison, prosecutors will recommend probation during a sentencing in April.
