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Three more inmates charged with escape from TCF

TCF sign and entrance

 

The three inmates accused of escape from confinement in July of this year while serving time at the Territorial Correctional Facility (TCF) have been charged by the government.

Andrew Peters, Jason Muasau and Vatia Tugaga appeared in District Court last week for their initial appearances. They are each charged with one count of escape from confinement, a class D felony.

The government claimed that on July 6, 2018, the three defendants left TCF at night unsupervised and without legal authorization. They were recaptured on the following day by police officers.

It was during their initial appearance when their defense attorney, Assistant Public Defender, Ryan Anderson informed the court that the three defendants wished to waive their rights to a preliminary examination, and bind their case over to the High Court for further proceedings.

The three defendants appeared in High Court last Friday morning for arraignment, where they all entered a not guilty plea to the single charge against each of them. Their pretrial conference is now set for Nov. 2, 2018. All three defendants are now remanded in custody.

BACKGROUND

Peters is serving a 5-year sentence since 2016 for stealing, while Tugaga and Muasau are serving 27-year sentences since 2013 for assaulting a man in his 70s while he was sleeping onboard his yacht. The court convicted Tugaga and Muasau of 1st degree assault, a class A felony.

Tugaga and Muasau choked the man twice, first with an electric cord and secondly with a strap. The victim said he was able to wedge his fingers between the strap and his neck to keep it from choking him. The victim was taken to hospital, suffered a broken tooth, and numerous bruises and lacerations to his body, which required 30 stitches.