Jason Valdez is no stranger to US police. His latest brush with the law, however, may have been the most public.

An armed Valdez, 36, held a woman hostage at a Utah motel in a tense 16-hour, overnight stand-off with SWAT teams, all while finding time to keep his family and friends updated on Facebook, authorities said.

He even got some help from the outside over the social network: A friend posted that a SWAT officer was hiding in the bushes.

"Thank you homie," Valdez replied. "Good looking out."