Woman calls from off island alleging her Ottoville home had been burglarized

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On December 12, 2024, a female individual who lives off island contacted the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) to report an alleged burglary at her home in Ottoville.

The suspect was later apprehended and charged with:

Count 1: Burglary in the Second Degree, a class C felony punishable by imprisonment of up to seven years, a fine of up to $5,000, or both imprisonment and fine; and,

Count 2: Stealing, a class C felony punishable by imprisonment of up to seven years, a fine of up to $5,000, or an amount equal to twice the amount of gain from the commission of the crime up to a maximum of $20,000 or both imprisonment and fine.

The defendant’s bail was set at $30,000.

According to the court affidavit, on Dec. 12th, at around 7:12 p.m., a female (later identified as the reporter/ victim) contacted the TPS from California to report an alleged burglary at her house in Ottoville.

Police officers responded to the call and upon arrival at the scene — it was dark outside — the officers had to use their flashlights to be able to patrol the house and found that the suspect had already left the scene.

The victim’s house was observed to be surrounded by a cement fence with a chain blocking the front entrance. The window trim on the right side of the door was removed and the window mesh screen appeared to have been pried open.

The officers then met with a neighbor where she was able to provide the license plate of the taxi with three males, one of whom was the taxi driver.

According to the neighbor, she saw one male loading the taxi with a basket of clothes but she couldn’t tell most of what he took. The neighbor was also able to identify the make and color (gray) of the taxi and that it had a sticker on its side.

The officers were told by the neighbor that the men in the taxi had just left before they arrived and they proceeded to search for the taxi matching the description and the vehicle plate number, reported by the neighbor.

A taxi was observed by police, matching the description and vehicle plate in Fagaima, in front of a Fagaima store. The officers met with the taxi driver who identified himself and stated that one of the passengers (later identified as the suspect) said that it was his uncle’s house they were going to and that his uncle told him that he could take stuff from the house.

The taxi driver insisted on directing the officers to the house where he dropped off the individuals. Police officers followed the taxi driver who was using his privately owned vehicle and proceeded to the area where the suspects were dropped off.

Upon arrival at the house, the officers met up with the owner of the house. She stated that a male (later identified as Faaiuga Tupuola) came to her house at around 4:00 to 5:30 in the evening and asked her if she wanted to buy a Chinese straw mat from him. She asked the individual, “Who owns the stuff you're trying to sell?” The suspect replied that it was his uncle’s stuff that he was going to get from Mapusaga.

Furthermore, the suspect returned while they were having their evening prayers, with an individual she recognized to be Tali Tauta. She explained that Tauta and the suspect asked her if she could hold onto the suspect’s uncle’s stuff and that the suspect would pick it up later. The witness continued that the suspect then asked her if she could lend him some money to pay for the taxi and she gave him $25.00 but the suspect stated it wasn’t enough. He told her that the fare cost $45.00 due to the distance and then she gave him an additional $20.00.

The witness also pointed out where Tauta lives which was right next to the house across from hers.

The officers proceeded to Tauta’s house and located him where he was apprehended and transported to the station.

Upon arrival at the station, Tauta was Mirandized and he agreed to make a statement.

According to Tauta, he stated that the suspect, Faaiuga Tupuola approached him in front of the store and asked him if he could help him with loading his stuff inside the taxi. He claimed that he told the suspect “no” but the suspect insisted he needed help because his belongings were really heavy. He agreed to help the suspect.

When they arrived at the location in Ottoville, the suspect was dropped off in front of the house and he remained inside the taxi because he thought that the suspect was lying. The suspect then loaded the taxi with 4 baskets of pillow cases, window curtains, towels and ceramic plates. They left Ottoville and went to a house and that is where he helped the suspect to unload the baskets.

Tauta told police that the suspect rents an apartment nearby.

The officers contacted the taxi driver to confirm Tauta’s statement, which he did.

On Dec. 13th, at about 5:24 a.m., the officers proceeded to locate Faaiuga at his residence. Upon arrival at the suspect’s residence, they met with a female who is the suspect’s sister. She stated that the suspect was inside his bedroom and told the officers to wait outside while she informed the suspect to come meet with them.

However, the sister discovered that the room was locked and no one answered. She then used an unknown object to unlock the suspect’s door and discovered that the suspect was not there.

The suspect’s sister, however, agreed for the officers to enter the residence where they proceeded to the suspect’s room and found him hiding under his bed.

He was apprehended and transported to the TPS for further investigation.

Upon arrival at the station, the suspect was Mirandized to which he understood but refused to make a statement.

The suspect was booked and later transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility to be confined awaiting the next available sitting of the District Court.

On Dec. 15th, the taxi driver provided a written statement which was translated by the assigned officer.

According to the taxi driver, a call came from Nuuuli for a taxi and he went and picked up two males in front of a store. They went to Ottoville and took a dirt road next to the Island’s Choice compound. They went to a house in the back where one of the males supposedly loaded ie lavalavas, dishes, pillows and blankets from inside the victim’s house to the taxi.

Only one male individual did this action while the other stayed in the taxi.

Afterwards, they went back to the Tago area and unloaded the baskets to a house back there. One of the male individuals (suspect) went inside and talked to the family and then came out and told Tauta to unload the baskets from the taxi into the family’s house. The taxi driver also stated that he picked up a female individual on the road in the Tago area and dropped her off at the store. On their way to the store, the female passenger asked him of the luggage that he dropped off at the family’s house.

The taxi driver claimed that the passenger he picked up told him that she was the suspect’s sister and she mentioned that he was a thief and they wanted him locked up.

The victim, who is a former police officer, verbally stated that the house belongs to her parents but they were deceased. She stated that she’s the one looking after the house now. She explained that there are 2 graves in front of her house for her parents and her brother. The victim explained she does not live on the island so communication was through messaging applications.

She further stated that she stays off island now with her kids but she has had someone doing regular checks on the house. She said there’s no security measures in place or cameras installed in the property, instead, she got word of this incident through her neighbors which include one of the witnesses in this case.

The victim also provided a copy of the Warranty Deed document of the ownership of the residence in Tafuna (Ottoville District) granted to her by her late father.

The defendant is identified as a 29-year-old citizen of Samoa.