A man wanted for homicide in Pennsylvania was arrested in Florida over the weekend after authorities said he was caught violating social distancing rules at a beach.
Jacksonville Beach police arrested Mario Matthew Gatti, 30, on Sunday after allegedly finding him sunbathing near the dunes in violation of local coronavirus prevention rules.
Beaches in Duval County reopened last week amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but with restricted hours and only for exercise, not sunbathing.
Jacksonville Beach police said they recognized Gatti as someone with a warrant out for his arrest and took him into custody, Pennsylvania’s Valley News Dispatch reported.
He faces additional charges of giving false information in a felony or missing person case, as well as possessing drugs without a prescription, online jailhouse records show.
“We have some rules in place that it’s open for active exercise: running, jogging, walking a dog. No blankets, beach chairs, sitting or lounging is allowed,” a police spokesperson told the Dispatch. “He was found up closer toward our dunes lounging.”
Gatti was wanted for the shooting death of 33-year-old Michael Coover in Arnold, Pennsylvania, in January.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article misidentified the victim as 31-year-old Anthone Williams. Williams was killed in a separate shooting in nearby New Kensington, Pennsylvania, also in January.