A New York City tourist in Hawaii was arrested for violating the state's quarantine rule after he shared photos of himself on Instagram at the beach, authorities said.
Tarique Peters, 23, was arrested after local residents saw the pictures and alerted Hawaiian authorities.
Staff at the hotel where Peters was staying also confirmed to authorities that they saw him leave his room and the premises several times since he arrived in O‘ahu on Monday.
"He allegedly left his hotel room the day he arrived and traveled many places using public transportation," a press release from the state's COVID-19 information center states.
Peters posted numerous photos of himself as he walked around Waikiki, went to the beach with a surfboard and sunbathed, the release states.
He was arrested on Friday by special agents with the state Department of the Attorney General for violating a rule that travelers to Hawaii self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival and for "unsworn falsification to authority," according to the release.
Peters is being held on a $4,000 bail. A local man was with Peters when he was taken into custody, and charges for that man are pending.
It is not clear if Peters has legal representation.
“We appreciate the assistance of local people who spot flagrant violations of our emergency rules on various social media sites and report them to the appropriate authorities," Attorney General Clare Connors said.
The Hawaii Transportation Department in April said travelers arriving in Hawaii must self-quarantine and sign a document acknowledging that violating the rule is a criminal offense that could result in a $5,000 fine and/or a year in jail.
