Man who was serving probation for stealing from Leone HS is back in custody

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man with a 2-year-old bench warrant for failure to appear in court for a disposition hearing back in July 2017 was arrested over the weekend and is now in custody.

Mu Matuu made his initial appearance before Chief Justice Michael Kruse this week, and his next court date is Aug. 16th.

His probation review stems from a case in 2012, when he was convicted for his involvement in burglarizing Leone High School (LHS) classrooms that resulted in the removal of iMAC computers and laptops valued at an estimated $5,000

When questioned by police, two juveniles identified Matu’u as being involved in the burglary. According to the minors, Matu’u served as the ‘lookout’, while they - along with 2 male adults - entered the classrooms and removed the computers and accessories.

On Oct. 10, 2012, Matu’u was sentenced to 7 years probation after he pled guilty to stealing. As a condition, Matu’u was ordered to serve 28 months and remain law abiding.

In 2017, Matu’u was convicted in District Court for stealing, a class A misdemeanor - a clear violation of the conditions set forth in his 2012 probation sentence handed down in High Court.

On July 11, 2017, Matu’u was scheduled to appear in High Court for a Disposition Hearing; however, he failed to appear.

That’s when a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.

Last week, Matu’u was apprehended by police at his parents’ home after he went there and reportedly disturbed the peace. He is now remanded to custody without bail, awaiting his next court appearance.