The Criminal Investigation Division has criminally charged two men in connection with the burglary of a store in Fogagogo, and one of the suspects has confessed he broke into three other stores.

In this case, the accused allegedly yanked the cash register from the counter and took off with it.

Nassan Tupuola the driver of the ‘getaway vehicle’ is charged with stealing, responsible for conduct of another class C felony, while Daniel Ta’afua is charged with first-degree burglary and stealing, which are both felony counts.

According to the government’s case, the burglary at a store in Fogagogo was reported to the police on February 1, 2017.

It’s alleged that when CID detectives viewed the video footage, it showed that the culprit covered his face. “He wore black short ‘dickies’, black slippers and black shirt long sleeves, then he walked in and pulled out the cash machine.” One witness informed the police that around the time of the alleged crime, he saw a silver four-door vehicle heading south of Fogagogo however the witness did not recognize any in the vehicle that did not have a license plate on it.

It’s alleged that another witness, who saw the same vehicle, recognized the driver. The second witness told the police that Nassan called out to him, asking if he (witness) could unlock the chain that goes from Fogagogo to Vaitogi. The witness also told the police “that Nassan was sweating, seemed nervous and was acting suspicious.”

According to the witness there were two other people in the car. The next day, Ta’afua’s mother called in and filed a missing person’s report and informed the police that Ta’afua had not been seen since Saturday.

A routine police patrol found the vehicle described by Ta’afua’s mother; and a traffic officer approached Ta’afua at the Lions Park and informed him that his mother had filed a missing persons complaint.

Ta’afua then drove to the Tafuna West Substation where he informed the police that he hasn’t been home for several days. The traffic officer contacted CID that the vehicle involved in the alleged robbery matched the description of the vehicle at the police station and Ta’afua fit the description.

Police interviewed Ta’afua, who then confessed to the burglary of the store in Fogagogo.

Court filings say that Ta’afua informed the police that Tupuola was his ‘accomplice’ — who drove the getaway vehicle. Ta’afua further told the police that there was only $180- $190 cash in the register; and after he removed the cash register, they drove south of Fogagogo and Tupuola asked an individual in Fogagogo to unlock his chain so their vehicle could go through to Vaitogi.

Ta’afua also informed the police that he had planned with another person to break into the Pacific Independent Distributors (PID) in Fagaima and around January 30, 2017, he and another man, an employee of PID, broke into the store.

Court filings say that Ta’afua went to PID during the day for a job interview and “scoped out the place for the burglary.” It’s alleged that in the evening, Ta’afua “loosened about 14-16 screws on the back side of the wall and bent the metal plate to gain access into the building. When he got in he went straight to the back of the office, he pried open the office door using a crowbar and walked straight to the filing cabinet. He also pried open the cabinet where the cash was located and he took off with close to $3,000.”

Ta’afua, according to court filings, also confessed to breaking into K&F Merchandise in Nuu’uli during the night, in December 2016. Ta’afua said that he was with another man, who drove the “getaway car.”

“The vehicle was parked in front of the store and he got out walked into the store and grabbed the cash register and then ran back out and they drove to Kokoland where they opened the cash register and got out the cash,” he said.

Court filings say that Ta’afua also confessed to another burglary case, a laundromat in Ili’ili, also in December 2016.

It’s alleged that he covered his face and pointed a black ‘BB’ pistol gun and threatened the cashier and took the cash register and he was with another man who was driving the ‘getaway vehicle.’

After taking the cash register from the laundromat, Ta’afua and the other man drove to Aoloau and opened the cash register and took the cash and dumped the register into the bushes.

It’s unclear if the police have charged Ta’afua in the other cases he’s admitted to, or if they found the other suspects in those cases, but in the meantime Ta’afua and Tupuola made their initial appearance in District Court this week.