The suburbs of New York City saw their first arrest under a new local law banning face masks, as Nassau County Police announced the arrest of Wesslin Omar Ramirez Castillo.

Officials responded to reports of a suspicious person near the Levittown and Hicksville town line and found Ramirez Castillo wearing a black ski mask that covered his face, leading to his arrest.

The 18-year-old was found to be carrying a 14-inch knife and faces misdemeanor charges for criminal possession of a weapon and obstructing governmental administration.

Ramirez Castillo is also expected to be charged under the new face mask law, as per Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman who signed the law earlier this month.

While the arrest has been seen as a success in enforcing the law, critics argue that it can lead to selective enforcement and discrimination, with legal challenges already in place.

The new legislation was approved in response to recent incidents and aims to prevent individuals from concealing their identities in public, with exceptions for health, safety, religious, cultural, and celebratory purposes.