LIHU‘E — As of Friday, Kaua‘i police have arrested three people for violating the state’s mandatory, 14-day quarantine order.
The most recent occurred Friday, when police arrested 31-year-old Bobby Edwards of Boynton, Florida.
According to a preliminary report, Edwards arrived on Kaua‘i from Honolulu on Friday via Hawaiian Airlines. Upon arrival, Edwards was unable to produce acceptable proof of lodging to Lihu‘e Airport personnel. After being advised that he would need to produce proof of accommodations, he refused.
The report also indicates that Edwards was exhibiting belligerent behavior toward airport personnel and toward officers during his arrest. Edwards was also showing significant signs of intoxication and was not being cooperative.
He not only faces criminal charges for violating an emergency order but also for disorderly conduct.
Edwards was not displaying symptoms of COVID-19 but Kaua‘i police followed proper safety guidelines and protocol during his arrest and transport.
Edwards is currently being held in cellblock.
Once he’s released from custody, he will be required to either quarantine in proper accommodations, leave the island or face arrest for subsequent offense under the governor’s order.
Thursday, KPD arrested 50-year-old Devin Martin of Olympia, Washington.
According to a preliminary report, Martin arrived on Kaua‘i on Thursday via Alaska Airlines from Washington. He was contacted by airport security upon his arrival and advised of the 14-day quarantine. He did not have reservations for proper accommodations and he allegedly refused to find suitable lodging.
The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority alerted the Kaua‘i Police Department of his
violation of the 14-day quarantine, and he was subsequently arrested.
Martin did not display signs or symptoms of illness but he was brought to Wilcox Medical Center for clearance prior to his incarceration. Kaua‘i police also followed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state Department of Health guidelines as far as personal protective equipment is concerned, during the man’s transport.
Martin was held in cellblock and was expected to return to the mainland on Friday.
TGI, is this part of some effort of states to send homeless people to Kauai? Would this not be something worth investigating and reporting on/exposing if true?
They have to go back.
Is the purple lady still allowed at the bus stop? She should have been detained long ago.
Just think of how much the crime rate on Kauai would drop of airport security checked all incoming people for proof of residence. This covid business might actually wake us up to where the weak points are in island policing and security. It might put an end to vagrants or nut jobs just “show up” on Kauai, solely for the purpose of being drifting pains in the butt.
I’d like to know who’s tearing our beach park facilities apart at night? I’m guessing it’s adolescent teen boys on their first beer, but how did they get out? Who are their parents?
“Viral Tourism” may be new, but “Homeless Tourism” isn’t. People do not just come here as chronic homeless. They come here to vacay on the cheap and sleep rough to save money and just “get the Kaua’i experience, man!”
They hit all of our food-banks for food, every once in awhile they check into the homeless shelter, and hang a bit. Some even do the “Homeless shelter circuit”, and hit all of the outer islands. Some even admit they are doing it, and are kinda proud of it. They apply for all the free stuff they can get. They even try to get into “transitional” housing meant for locals, by taking a little part time job, and keeping the transitional rental for 6 months, and then bugging out to a different outer island, and doing the same shtick all over again.
There are some real, savvy people coming here. In fact, some are complete frauds and are not homeless at all. They do the whole “Crazy looking homeless person shtick”, complete with all kinds of interesting props, dirty clothing, shopping carts, et all.
These aren’t our people. Hawaii local homeless do not dress in rags and cover themselves with filth and push around shopping carts. Local homeless mostly keep it on the down-low, or stick together in small tight knit groups. These “crazy looking” homeless you see are complete fakers. They hop cheap flights, and travel for the thrill of it, collecting what they can.
These particular Homeless fakers, do not usually apply for food stamps, welfare, or HUD housing, because they have homes to go back too. This is more of a “traveling carnival gig” type experience, where they live as a homeless person, dress up so outrageous that you would never notice who they are when they clean up and take the cash goodies and surprisingly have a completely different identity, and check into somewhere or hop a plane to somewhere else.
There is the “city homeless”, and the “hippie homeless”. Both have the same get ups with different costumes. Both say and do outrageous things. Both act off, but not off enough for incarceration, when the cops show up they usually change there demeanor entirely. A lot of them feel entitled to act like this, because they “want too”. They are not true or even serious homeless people. They could all hop on planes, and do their shtick more easier in much larger cities. But they like to come to more isolated areas because they think we are dupes and will fall for it and feel sorry for them. When we don’t and they get ignored, their behavior becomes exponentially outrageous until someone does finally notice. And that is when they make their mistake. Because no none here is going to take care of them. Its a plane ride back to the mainland, or quit faking it, drop the costumes and earn your ticket back home, or you can go to mahelona, or do a few days in jail.
These people usually never hang out with the real house-less, or with other people. They work the grid alone. Its very rare to see this kind of a scam being done with more than two people.A t best occasionally its a couple, with the two separating to make more freebies. And trust me these guys ask for everything, they have no shame. Free cars, free accommodations free food free everything. The hippies work other hippies, and the city people work the non profit circuit.
The real homeless locals can’t get a break, because these “cool cats”, take up everything and are the first to jump on an opportunity to get something. I am not joking about this. Its sickening. The hippie style and the city style ones are all cut from the same cloth. They are here to work the system. period. Get stuff for free, and eventually leave when the freebie train runs off the tracks, for a new place somewhere else. The guys aren’t hobos either. They have no code, and could not care one bit for the homeless here. In fact, they fight with the homeless here, its really bad.
Send them all back now. Take care of our local chronic homeless population. Do not give services to out of state homeless. Find out what state they left last, and send them back there!
Just my six and a half cents worth. Wow, I ranted, didn’t I? Yeah this is a real sore spot for me, so I am glad I got that off my chest. Sorry not sorry.
@behappy
The “purple lady” lives here, so the comment that she should be “detained” (for what exactly?) makes no sense in relation to this story. It’s a complete non sequitur. Show some aloha. Leave that poor lady alone.
Purple lady will not take ANY OFFERs! She is holding out as i know her as a disabled Veteran! She seems completely lucid, but has a very hard head! EVEN chief todd has made attempts to get her gone to a reasonable roof, bath n room, food and PARATRANSIT or 1:1 assistance.
return these malcontents……..home!!!
So far 2 from Florida, travel cross country and come to Kauai, WTF? Send them back, We have limited resources for the island residents, keep all the tourist in their states.