Recent high school grads arrested for alleged under age drinking

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On July 15, 2025, the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) received a call from a concerned citizen who reported minors who were allegedly consuming alcohol in a public place.

Three of the minors fled the scene while two young women were apprehended and charged with:

Count 1: Underage Consumption of Alcohol, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500, or both imprisonment and fine; and,

Count 2: Prohibited Place of Consumption, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500, or both.

There was no set bail for the defendants.

Court records state that on July 15th, at approximately 6:08 p.m., a woman (later identified as the reporter) who was a passerby, contacted the TPS and reported seven minors who were allegedly consuming alcohol on a sidewalk along the main road.

Police officers later arrived and saw four minors fleeing the scene. The officers made contact with two females, later identified as Rosalina McMoore (18) and Natasha Mauga (age 19). While speaking with them, the officers detected a strong odor of alcohol on both females’ breath.

Both were apprehended and transported to the TPS for further investigation.

Both suspects were Mirandized in which they both understood and provided their verbal statements.

According to McMoore, she went to the said location to hang out with the boys. When she arrived, she saw that a party had already started and she also saw three minors around the age of 15. McMoore claimed she did not know who had bought the case of beer but she consumed at least three cans. She also told the officers that she does not know any of the minors who were there.

Mauga stated that when she arrived at the location, the party had already started. Mauga also claimed that she had come from Pago Pago to visit her boyfriend, who was at the party. She said that when she got there, she saw several cases of beer, and three minors who were drinking.

Mauga admitted that she drank alcohol and spent time with her boyfriend. However, she doesn’t know who bought the alcohol. She also added that three of the individuals who were drinking had recently graduated from high school which included herself, McMoore, and her boyfriend who fled the scene.

Both McMoore and Mauga were booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility to await the next available sitting of the District Court.