2 visitors wanted for violating quarantine order more than once found by police

UPDATE: The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii said that the duo was found by authorities on Wednesday afternoon. KHON was told that the two paid for their own tickets home.

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Officials say two visitors who were already arrested for violating the 14-day quarantine order are in trouble again for doing the same thing. The State Attorney General’s office has sent out an alert for hotels to be on the lookout for Kimberly Tien and Edwin Htun.

The two visitors checked out of their Waikiki hotel after they were arrested and released on Tuesday. Officials say they checked into another hotel but staff there started scolding them for leaving the premises, so they checked out of that hotel.

“When the front desk manager said something they checked out of the hotel because I think they knew the authorities were gonna be called,” said Jessica Lani Rich of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii.

Tien from Nevada and Htun from Australia had been staying at the Lay low Hotel when they were arrested. Officials says she had been posting pictures on social media of her and Htun on the beach breaking the law.

The state attorney general’s office has sent out a notice to hotels to be on the lookout for the two visitors, which says:

“(They) may be attempting to secure lodging at another area hotel to avoid being located by law enforcement. Htun and Tien are traveling as a couple and may be paying for their accommodations with cash.”

“It’s really frustrating because many residents are upset. They’re staying inside, they’re obeying the law, and here we have visitors who are walking around town galavanting and breaking the law,” said Rich.

Rich says the state has given approval for her organization to send both visitors back home. The state will pay for their way back through the COVID-19 Flight Assistance Program. The Hawaii Tourism Authority has provided $25,000 to the program. Since the quarantine rules went in effect on March 26, 19 visitors have been sent back. Many of them did not actually have a place to stay. In this case, Rich says residents are angry because the two visitors have no regard for the safety of others.

“We have to stay inside and we’re obeying the law and to see visitors coming here and breaking the law, it’s very irritating to many people,” she said.