A man who police said was flying a drone near the Washington Monument early Wednesday has been given a criminal citation, according to the U.S. Park Police.

John Newcomer Jr. was charged with operating an unmanned aircraft, which is illegal in and around Washington, including private property.

Police, who did not provide the man’s age or address, said in a statement that officers were alerted to the drone about 4 a.m. Wednesday and found the man near the north side of the monument near 16th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Police said officers ordered Newcomer to land the drone – a blue UDI RC – and that it and a black radio controller were confiscated.

The drone sells for about $60 on the Internet. The citation is $85.

Washington and its immediate environs are within what is called a Flight Restricted Zone. In addition, the National Park Service prohibits the launching, landing and operating of unmanned aircraft.

Wednesday’s incident was the first report of an unmanned drone being operated in a national park in the Washington area this year. Park Police said there have been 28 incidents since 2013.

In October 2015, police cited a drone operator for landing an unmanned aircraft on the White House Ellipse.

In May 2015, Secret Service officers stopped a man flying a small drone over Lafayette Square, in front of the White House, and in January of the same year, a man accidentally crashed a small drone on the White House grounds.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post · Peter Hermann