Man accused of stealing and trashing a house in 2022 finally set for arraignment

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man accused of unlawfully entering a home in Pago Pago will be arraigned today — nearly one year after the incident was reported and he was taken into custody.

Luvaiva Perevita’s arraignment is set for today, Oct. 18, 2023.

THE CASE

The Fagatogo Police Station received a call on November 11, 2022 from a woman, requiring assistance in an unlawful entrance of their home in Pago Pago. She stated that someone had been living in her house without her knowledge.

Officers arrived at the scene and encountered the husband of the caller, and they were briefed on the situation. The couple told DPS officers that they had arrived home on November 3, 2022, after being overseas to carry out some medical appointments.

The wife told officers that they left their house unattended, assuming that no one would break into their home. However, according to the wife, as they entered their home, they realized that the door was already unlocked. As they opened the door to get a clear sight of their house, they observed that tools were left on a table, while other tools and items were missing.

Missing tools and items included a brand new chainsaw, drone, weed eater, clothes, shoes and a piggy bank with $200 and a U.S. coin collection. As they continued a walk through of their home, they also noticed that their bedroom door was open.

The couple states they observed that their room was a disaster, noting that it was filthy and smelly, with clothes thrown on the floor, along with the presence of feces and urine filled bottles discovered near the bed along with condom wrappers and paraphernalia on the bed. The couple reported that the same thing had happened to their daughter’s bedroom.

The alleged culprit was identified by a nephew of the couple, stating that a man named Luaiva Peverita came to his house with an army bag full of his uncle's possessions.

The nephew of the couple returned the army bag with tools along with clothes and shoes.

According to the nephew, Luaiva was living with him at the time, when he noticed Luaiva acting suspicious. The nephew picked up on this and discovered that Luaiva was under the influence of illegal substances, which resulted in him chasing the defendant from his home. The nephew stated that the day he showed up with the army bag full of tools was the last day he saw Luaiva.

The couple then filed a report against Luaiva for their stolen possessions and for unlawfully entering their home without their knowledge.

Luaiva is being charged with two felony crimes — burglary in the second degree and stealing —and the misdemeanor crime of trespassing.

Luaiva was taken into custody on the same day and it was discovered that his immigration ID expired in 2016.  His wife — who is also his sponsor — has been off island since that time and has not returned to the territory.

There was no mention in the court documents of the reason for the long delay before his arraignment.