Drone Pilot Arrested For Flying Over Bay Area NFL Games

The Sacramento resident's charge was a misdemeanor.

BY DIGIT AL

Nov 28, 2017, 12:00 AM Updated: Jan 4, 2019, 11:21 am

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BERLIN, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 03: A DJI Mavic Pro Quadcopter drone is seen on flight at the Dronemast...

(Photo by Omer Messinger/Getty Images)

BERLIN, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 03: A DJI Mavic Pro Quadcopter drone is seen on flight at the Dronemasters 2017 convention on September 3, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. The annual event, now in its second year, brings together drone racers, developers, users and manufacturers for a day of events, exhibitions and presentations.

(Photo by Omer Messinger/Getty Images)

A California man was arrested on Sunday for flying his drone over both Bay Area NFL stadiums and attempting to drop anti-media leaflets into the crowd during the games.

Tracy Mapes, a 55-year-old Sacramento resident, was cited and released by Santa Clara police for flying the drone in violation of a local municipal code, department spokesperson Dan Moreno told USA TODAY Sports on Monday.

The drone appeared over Levi’s Stadium during the second quarter of the San Francisco 49ers meeting with rival Seattle Seahawks and was later seen over Oakland Coliseum, where the Oakland Raiders were playing the Denver Broncos.

Moreno said the message on the leaflets was “anti-local news media, and TV news stations specifically.” The charge was a misdemeanor, he said.