Alyza Alder from Arizona was active on social media, and she always updated her followers on what she was doing.
She couldn’t contain her excitement when she arrived in Honolulu. It was so warm and beautiful! She took a selfie and posted it on Instagram. Little did she know how much she would regret this…
The day after Alyza arrived in Hawaii, she went straight to the beach and jumped into the water.
There weren’t many people around, and it made her feel special like she had her own private beach.
Fewer people around meant that she could also take more photos for social media without anyone judging her.
And that’s exactly what she did. People loved her content, and she began gaining more and more followers.
Alyza quickly decided that she wanted to stay longer in Honolulu, but she couldn’t do so without working.
So, she applied for a job at a nearby restaurant. She worked during the day and partied at night. Life was perfect. But then, one day, she noticed a neighbor staring and pointing at her. What was his deal?
“You’re not from around here,” he shouted. “Obviously,” Alyza replied. She felt offended by the man’s words. So what if she wasn’t a local?
“Why are you here?” the neighbor asked. Alyza didn’t answer his question. He didn’t need to know her business. She decided to ignore his rude remarks, but every time she came home from work, she would see him by the window staring at her.
One day, Alyza decided to visit her favorite spot on the island. “ I should send out another picture,” she thought to herself as she pulled out her phone from her pocket.
She kept taking selfies as she walked by the water. Then, she noticed someone walking towards her. It was two police officers.
Alyza felt her heart pounding in her chest as she stood by the water. Why were they here? What did they want from her?
“Excuse me, ma’am. When did you get here?” one of the officers asked her.
“Only a few hours ago,” Alyza responded. “No. Not the beach. When did you fly in?”
Alyza thought for a moment and said, “A few weeks ago.” The cops stepped in closer. “We need to see your passport.”
Alyza was becoming increasingly worried. Was she in trouble? Did someone report her? “I don’t have it on me right now,” she said quietly.
The officers asked her to get into the car to get the documents they needed from her room. Then, they took her to the police station.
The officers asked her to sit down. “You ignored the quarantine rule. You’re under arrest,” the officer said.
“What?!” Alyza couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“You were told multiple times that you have to go on a two-week self-lockdown after you arrived,” the officer continued.
Alyza said, “Yes, I heard. But I’m not sick!” The officer rolled her eyes at her. “It doesn’t matter. Those are the travel rules in Hawaii right now.”
Soon, Alyza found herself behind bars. She completely ignored the state’s strict travel rules, and her neighbor noticed her going to the beach and partying the very next days just after she arrived in Honolulu.
But that wasn’t all…
All the photos that Alyza had posted online were proof that she ignored the self-quarantine rule.
She kept arguing with the officers about her rights, and the police got heated. “The rules are for everyone,” they repeated.
Alyza was charged with unsworn falsification to authorities and violation of the state rules.
Her bail was set at $2000.
When Alyza arrived in Honolulu, Hawai had 647 active infections and 17 that had passed away due to the virus.
But Alyza wasn’t worried about the rising covid infections. Now, she’s paying the price for it.
