Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A young man accused in a string of thefts was arrested last week, after he allegedly stole clothing and jerseys belonging to a soccer team in Tafuna.

Fatu Lologa made his initial appearance in District Court last week.

Lologa is being charged in three separate cases.

For the first case, he is charged with stealing, a class C felony.

Lologa is also charged in two other cases with stealing and first-degree burglary — both class C felonies.

The court established Lolo’s bail at $10,000

If he is able to post bond, Lologa is to remain law abiding, not leave or attempt to leave the territory, and he has to surrender his travel documents to the prosecutor.

He is also not to make any direct or indirect contact with the government’s witnesses, including the victims in this case.

THE CASES

Police had been trying find a man accused of snatching the wallet of a male customer who was standing in line at a store in Tafuna.

Witnessed told police that the customer was standing in line with his wallet in hand when a young man came from the back of the store, grabbed the wallet, and ran out.

Two days later, the owner of a store in the Tafuna area contacted police for assistance regarding a young man who entered his store at night and took off with money from the cash register, during business hours.

According to the storeowner, the man was standing in front of the cashier, waiting to pay for his shopping

There was another customer in front of him.

While the cashier was trying to help bag the customer’s items, the young man — later identified as Lologa — reached into the cash register, grabbed the money and fled.

Footage from the store’s surveillance camera confirmed the owner’s story.

Police were able to interview several witnesses, including employees, who identified the man in the video footage as Lologa.

While trying to locate Lologa, a man called the Tafuna Police Substation last week requesting police assistance about a possible break-in at his house in the Tafuna area.

Based on eyewitness statements, Lologa allegedly entered the room where the soccer team is staying, while the players were training on the field.

Lologa took clothing items and the team’s uniforms, and allegedly put them inside a bag before leaving the building. A witness who saw Lologa alerted team officials and authorities were later contacted for assistance.

Lologa was apprehended and taken to the TPS, where he allegedly confessed to all three incidents.

Lologa is scheduled to appear in court next week for a preliminary examination.