Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On March 10, 2026, a routine arrest at the Fagatogo Police Station (FPS) reportedly led to the surprised discovery of an inmate hiding inside a vehicle driven by a corrections officer.

According to the court affidavit, Faiesea Kupu , a 36-year-old corrections officer, was served with an arrest warrant at the Fagatogo Police Station by police officers. The officers executed the warrant with the assistance of multiple law enforcement personnel, including supervising officers assigned to the case.

Following the arrest, investigators conducted a standard inventory search of the SUV the defendant had driven to the station prior to being taken into custody.

It was while officers were searching the vehicle, they made an unexpected discovery in the rear section of the SUV.

Police officers found defendant Lui Iputi hiding inside the vehicle despite allegedly being under confinement at the Tafuna Correctional Facility at the time.

Police records state that the inmate was discovered huddled in the back portion of the SUV during the inventory process.

Authorities immediately detained the inmate and placed him back into custody.

Court documents further revealed that the inmate had reportedly been held at the correctional facility under pretrial detention for felony charges connected to a separate High Court matter.

Investigators alleged that the inmate was unlawfully outside the correctional facility at the time he was discovered in the vehicle.

Following the discovery, officers booked the inmate on an additional charge of escaping confinement before transporting him back to the Tafuna Correctional Facility.

The affidavit identifies Iputi as defendant.

It does not explain how the inmate allegedly exited the correctional facility or how long he had been outside custody before being discovered inside the vehicle.

The inmate was confined and charged with:

Count 1: Escape from Confinement, a Class D Felony, punishable by imprisonment of a term not to exceed five years or payment of a fine not exceeding $5,000, or both imprisonment and fine.

The defendant was held without bail.

It should be noted that details of the arrest of corrections officer Kupu is not specified in the affidavit, nor whether additional charges may be pursued in connection with the inmate allegedly being transported by the corrections officer.

Both matters remain before the court for further proceedings.

The affidavit was filed in the District Court on April 23, 2026.

As with all criminal cases, the allegations outlined in court filings remain accusations at this stage, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

[Editor’s Note: An affidavit is a written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation for use as evidence in court. It is not a court decision.]